


Hunger

by autobotgirl12328 (forgotten_plotline)



Series: Sky Army Series [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), youtube - Fandom
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Battle, Gen, Suspense, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 05:57:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 25,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17115716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgotten_plotline/pseuds/autobotgirl12328
Summary: [Book 2] A year has passed since our last adventure, Jane and the rest of the army are finally getting back into the swing of things. That is all put on hold when the annual hunger games is stopped due to troubles from one of the officer's past.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in 2013

**Ten Years ago**

Once upon a time, in a deep forest within the land known as New Canada, there was a small cabin, home to three. A loving husband and beautiful wife, together having a young boy of the age of seven. Deep within the woods, this family lived in peace.

The young boy stood at the door, watching his father prepare for work. First, the old man threw on his jacket, then his boots, then threw the family axe over his shoulder. It gleamed in the early morning light. The boy smiled, watching his father practice on the nearby tree as he did every morning. Then the old man turned back to the boy, smiling as well.

"I'm heading out, Mitchell," the old man nodded.

"You'll be home soon today right? Ma is out late so you have to be home early," the boy cheered.

"If we're lucky," he nodded.

"Dad…" the boy sighed. "When can I learn how to get in the family business?"

"When you're old enough to hold this," the old man chuckled, handing the boy the axe.

It dropped in the boy's hand, hitting the ground with a grand thud. The boy tried to pull the axe up but failed. The father took the axe from the boy, swinging it back over his shoulder. The boy nodded, waving to his boy as he left. He waited for his father to say what he normally said as he left.

"Keep an eye out for Baccas!"

Another day, thought the boy. He cleaned up their little cabin, made his bed, and prepared some food. It was about lunch time when he heard it. The tumbling in the family's trash bins. The boy moved slowly outside, rounding the house, leaning around the corner and spotting the trash bins.

The boy gasped. It was a fuzzy beast digging through the bins, munching on some trashed meat. The dark brown fur was matted and tangled, holding bits of knotted leaves and twigs. Every time the beast's mouth opened, it revealed sharp fangs which quickly ripped off the leftover meat on the bone. Heart racing, the boy couldn't move. He heard his father's voice yelling at him. Run. Run. Run.

The boy looked around. Between being terrified and mortified, he felt sorry for the creature. Obviously, the beast was hungry. The boy slowly stepped forward, though didn't know why. A compelling feeling of peace and sorrow washed over him. It was so hungry. Why couldn't the boy just…offer him so food? He took another step forward, stepping on a twig and listening to the snap. The beast looked up, spotting the boy. The boy stepped back, and then gulped.

The creature snarled, baring his fangs. They seemed to sparkle in the light that drifted from the trees. The creature stepped forward, one fuzzy paw at a time. The boy whimpered, stepping back. The creature kept stepping forward until finally the boy fell to the ground. The creature stood over him, tall and proud. He pulled back his hand, ready to strike.

"Are…are you hungry?" he whispered.

The paw remained raised as the beast's eyes glistened with though. He looked around slowly, eventually nodding, putting his hands by his side. He bowed his head, continuing to nod but avoiding eye contact. The boy sat up.

"My…my ma made some…fresh bread this morning," he gulped. "It's for lunch…we…we can share."

The beast perked, smiling with sharp teeth. The boy nodded slowly, stepping around the house. He heard the creature following him. What was he thinking? Letting this beast in! His father told him not to do such things. But…the being looked so sad, so hungry. How could the boy not oblige and feed the hungry creature.

They entered the house, sitting at the table and shared some of the bread and sandwiches. Not a word was spoken. The boy only ate once sandwich. The creature ate three and half. The boy was surprised he didn't more. Halfway through the fourth one though, the beast stopped and set the food down on the plate, looking up at the boy.

"Why?"

The boy was surprised. He'd never heard a Bacca speak. His father told him they were far too stupid to speak. They were mindless creatures, only good for their hides. The youngling sitting across from the boy looked sadly up at the boy, brown eyes glittering.

"Why?" repeated the boy.

"Why are you feeding me?" the youngling replied.

"You looked hungry," answered the boy.

"No one just feeds a bacca…"

"I'm not no one…I'm Mitch. What's your name?"

"My name?"

"You must have a name?"

The youngling paused a great moment. Suddenly voices, footsteps. The two children leapt to their feet. The boy knew it was his father, returning early as he had been hoping earlier. Now it frightening. The boy ran to the window, opening it up and motioning for the youngling to run. The bacca leapt out the window, but stood on the other side, waiting a moment.

"Jerome," he eventually said. "My name's Jerome."

"Nice to meet you," the boy hummed, sticking his hand out for a shake.

The bacca shook it gladly. Then ran into the woods, vanishing from sight. The boy sighed, turning around as the front door was opened. The father came in, suspecting nothing. The boy ate what was left of the bacca's sandwich. It had hair in it though, but he had to keep off his father's suspicions.

"Father?"

"Yes, son?"

"Do you think…Baccas now how to talk?"

The old man laughed heartily. The boy scrunched in his chair, waiting.

"No, son, no. Baccas don't speak. They are only beasts of the hunt, waiting for us to kill them or them to kill us."

"Why?"

"That is the law the wild." The father seemed proud by this answer.

"But…why?"

"Because," the father eventually retorted.

As the boy got up, he heard his father whisper under his breath, "we are both hungry animals."


	2. Sky Army Fights On

**Now**

"I don't know about this, Cliff."

The nearest town to the base was a few miles off, but it was almost always worth the trek. It felt amazing to be a part of civilization when I could. Too much time in the Sky base and you can…well, I wanna say turn into Jerome and Mitch but that would be mean. The town wasn't big, a few shops and houses, even a little school that taught all ages it seemed. I mostly went down to the town by myself but lately I'd been travelling down to it with Cliff. Sometimes Seto asks her to get stuff from town too.

"This will work…" she assured me.

"This time?" I smirked, glancing at her.

It was hard to make out a lot of her. She'd… "borrowed" one of Seto's cloaks, mostly for the hood feature. Cliff had the most adorable little tabby cat ears and matching tail. She wasn't full hybrid, only half blood. The hood shadowed most of her face, but didn't dull her long dirty blond hair that brushed over her blue eyes. Under the cloak, she had on her orange top and tan shots. She glanced at me, smiling.

"This time," she nodded.

I smirked, shrugging. We'd tried this three times before. It was Cliff's idea a few days ago and couldn't shake the notion. She'd suggested it to me and I thought it was fun at first but now it just seemed troublesome. Luckily the town was mostly friendly; full of people who will say high when you pass them. It was almost safe enough for hybrids to walk free, but we thought better safe than sorry.

"This one!" Cliff cried, pointing to an old, brick building.

"On the back, you think?" I hummed, nodding toward it.

"I'm ready if you are," she giggled, pulling out the paints from under her cloak.

We marched around to the back of the building. The only obstruction was an old rickety fire escape. It didn't hinder Cliff's excitement though. She set down the butter and blue colored paints. I took up the blue, she took up the butter. We began painting. It was fun, painting such a large canvas. It wasn't like we'd done this three times before…oh wait, we have!

"If we can't do it this time, I'm giving up," I chuckled.

"Oh, come on," pleaded Cliff. "This is fun, admit it!"

I smiled. This was kinda fun. I mean, I couldn't remember the last time I just painted. It felt good just to relax. Cliff shoved me lightly, so I shoved back. Her cloak hood fell back, revealing her tabby ears. They twitched with the removal of the hood, feeling the fresh air.

"Are you going to the Hunger Games this weekend?" Cliff eventually hummed.

"Hunger Games?" I perked, glancing at her.

"You know, the annual one. This is the second annual Hunger Games," she explained, nodding.

"Annual…"

I stopped painting. Annual? It's been one year…one year since all those events back home happened. I stood, completely frozen, recalling all the memories of before. The emotions and the events flickered over me, hurting my sides. Cliff realized my pause, nudging me.

"Thinking back?" she whispered.

"Has it really been a year…?" I mumbled.

"A very long one at that," yawned Cliff, setting the paintbrush down. "I mean, first we had to find a new base, then build the new base, set up the whole new stuff, and the low recruiting level."

"How many did we get last month?" I asked.

"Two, I think," she nodded.

"Hey, you two!"

We both froze, spinning around. A police officer was coming around the side of the building, pulling out his baton. We both stepped back slowly, watching the officer come closer and closer to us. I gripped Cliff by the wrist.

"TP, Cliff," I ordered.

"I'm trying," she whispered.

"Cliff…TP…"

"I'm trying!"

"Cliff, TP now!"

The officer was within arm's length of us, reaching out to grab us. My grip on Cliff's wrist tightened. I could see her jaw tighten, eyes squint, ears pull back, fists tightening. She was trying so hard. Still an apprentice.

"Cliff, TP!" I howled.

I saw the officer's hand. It seemed to be inches away from my face. I held my breath. I felt numb. Just at that moment, time seemed to slow, until finally, everything went white.


	3. Welcome Back Recruits

"Don't yell at me like!"

The world came rushing at me quickly. I wobbled, struggling to stand. Teleportation is horrible. I looked around slowly. Cliff had collapsed beside me, panting and gasping for much needed air. The cloak had fallen off her, crumpled to the ground. I groaned, rubbing my eyes until the world came into view.

"Where…where are we?" I stuttered.

"Just…outside the…the base…" Cliff sighed.

I looked around again. The world was in further focus. Trees rose up around us. Looking up, the world seemed to spin. Green and brown warping around each other. I felt like I was going to be sick. I cringed, holding my stomach. I patted Cliff on the back, turning around. The base wasn't far.

"Let's…let's get…going," I coughed, tugging at Cliff's collar.

"Give me…a second," mumbled Cliff, slowly getting to her feet.

We walked a moment, keeping an eye out for the subtle markers around the forest. The base was hard to find if you didn't know what you were looking for. Eventually, we caught sight of it. From the outside, it looked like three really large, wooden tree house buildings wrapped around three huge oak trees. A few stray dumbwaiters and one large elevator hunkered down to the ground.

"Jane! At last!"

I groaned. Ian came running over to me from the main elevator. He dashed in between Cliff and me, tugging us along. Three dorks…I mean, recruits, stood by the main elevator. Ragged and full of overzealous smiles, they were obviously the new recruits of this week. Ian pulled us to a stop just before the trio.

"Cliff, Seto wants you!" Ian huffed, shoving her off toward one of the dumbwaiters. "And Jane…You were supposed to be here two hours ago!"

"Really? Have I been out that long?" I perked, smiling.

"Ha ha, so funny. You were supposed to show the new recruits around," Ian grumbled, shoving me into the three.

"Three recruits?" I chuckled. "That's more than we had all last month!"

They looked at each, completely confused. It was true though, no exaggerations. Sky had been so…untrusting since that squid attack. In this year that's passed we have gotten barely over ten new recruits. And three of them stood before me! Ian rolled his eyes, heading toward one of the dumbwaiters.

"Well," I hummed, clapping my hands together. "Let's get this tour started!"

I shoved the three into the elevator, shutting the little wooden door behind us. The elevator slowly began to crank up on a rope line. The three recruits seemed frightened by this, looking up and around and eventually down at the fleeting ground.

"Well, this is it! The Sky Army base," I began. "What you see here is a tree house style housing wrapped around three main trees and supposed by several stilts. The right is the girls dorms, the left is the boys dorms, and the center is the officer dorms."

"Where's all the cool stuff?" snapped one of the recruits. He looked around seventeen.

"Yeah, like the weapons and junk," another one grumbled. He was around nineteen.

The elevator reached the tree house floor, opening the doors. The three kids trotted off and I marched off after them. They looked around in dumbfounded amazement. I rolled my eyes, coming up behind them and pushing them along. I pointed at the main trunk of the tree.

"This is the main tree, do you like it?" I hummed.

"Uh…sure," mumbled one of the recruits.

"Watch…" I snickered.

Knocking on the trunk of the tree, the bark pulled back, revealing a silver lined door. The three gasped, completely awed. I smirked. New recruits. The doors opened, revealing a nicely placed elevator. I nodded forward, motioning for them to enter. They stood frozen. I rolled my eyes, shoving them forward again.

We entered, doors shutting behind us. It was a nice elevator. Even had the silly music. The elevator shifted, finally travelling downward. I turned to the group. They were completely awed. It was so stupid. Was I that stupid before? I tried to think about my first time in the old Sky Army base but the memory didn't come up. It's been a while, I guess.

"Where are we going?" someone whispered.

"The… 'cool stuff' if located about a floor or so below the base of the tree," I explained. "The Basement holds the Hunger Games arena, the mess hall, Sky's office, weapons storage, and other rooms."

"The Basement?" a recruit hummed.

"That's what a lot of people call it," I nodded. "Some people also call it the dungeon."

"The Dungeon?" the three of them gaped.

The elevator stopped, doors opening. People were moving quickly from place to place. Instantly, I spotted Ty reading off his clipboard. I dashed out of the elevator, listening to the recruits rushing after me. I smirked, turning Ty around to face me. He seemed slightly surprised.

"Jane! Where have you been? You were supposed to be here two hours ago!" he gasped.

"I know, I know. Ian gave me the whole scowling treatment," I shrugged.

"Well," he sighed, looking at his clipboard, "You missed Husky's water training, missed helping stock for the Hunger Games this weekend…"

"Ugh," I groaned, rolling my eyes.

"And Sky is looking for you."

"What for?" I gasped.

"He didn't say," shrugged Ty.

"Well, I'll get on this list of things to do and visit Husky!" I cheered.

"But what about the newbies?" Ty groaned.

"I don't know but they're heading for the armory, just so you know," I hummed, motioning toward the three wandering off boys.

Ty jumped, dropping his clip board, and chasing after the three with calls and shouts. I chuckled, marching off. I knew my way around this place like the back of my hand, but I still didn't know where I would find Quinton at this time. I looked around for the next best thing, spotting Ryan not too far from me.

"Hey, Ryan," I hummed, throwing my arm over his shoulder.

"Oh no, Jane," he grumbled. "I don't have time for one of your games."

"No games. I just need to know where I can find Husky," I shrugged.

"He'll be in the pool room," he offered.

"Cool," I nodded, marching off. "Hey, you seen Jerome?"

"With Mitch," we said together.

"Has there ever been a time they weren't together?" I laughed, walking off.


	4. Top Bacca

**Five Years ago**

The sound of the axe on the bark cracked the silence of the forest. The echo repeated with each swing until finally the tree fell with a mighty crash. Mitch chuckled, placing one foot on the trunk of the fallen tree. It took a while but finally the tree had been chopped. It'd been some time since his father taught him how to swing the axe. Then again, it took a while for him to be able to wield the axe.

"Hey, Bajan!"

Mitch swung the axe over his shoulder, looking behind him. One of his friends, well, more of an acquaintance really. He hadn't known him long but still. Mitch waved, leaping from the tree. They laughed upon reaching one another, high fiving and patting each other on the back.

"So, Bajan, ready to go?" he hummed.

"Go where, Ben?" mumbled Mitch, lowering his axe to the ground.

"To the Hunger Games…remember?" Ben sighed. "Ugh, you forgot, didn't you? We got tickets to the game! It's only in town for a couple days! This is the opening act."

"Oh, right! I remember…I do!" perked Mitch, nodding. "When is it?"

"Right now, you idiot!" Ben chuckled, hitting Mitch upside the head. "Let's go."

Mitch wasn't much of a fan of the Hunger Games. He thought it was basically a homicidal race for people with a death wish. The arena was huge, four football fields long and three football fields wide. The viewing station was located above. In the center was a miniature scale of the arena, which would highlight where the contestants were at any given time. Any battle would be filmed on the jumbotron.

Ben had gotten them some good seats. Not too high but not too low. Mitch snuggled into his seat, looking around. The place was fairly crowded. Mitch had forgotten how popular this lousy game was. Ben pointed to the large screen. The title credits were rolling just as someone came onto a grand stage somewhere else in the stadium.

 _"Hello, ladies and gentlemen! My name is Mr. Peterson, the owner and producer of the…"_ pause for dramatic effect. People began shouting, cheering even. _"Hunger Games!"_ Crowd goes wild. _"Let's meet today's tributes."_

Mitch watched the screen closely as a list of names began strolling, but eventually he crossed his arms, leaning back. Ben cheered a few times, pointing at a couple names and saying their scores. Finally, a special sequence started for the final name. Mr. Peterson rejoined the screen, on the side.

_"And our final battler for today…The species is known for its bloodthirstiness and brutality…He is the known for his savagery! He is our undefeated champion of the Games…I introduce to you…Hacksource!"_

Mitch sat up slightly, looking at the screen intently. The crowd went wild as the final batter entered. The light got caught up in the tangles mess of brown hair, shimmering off his dark brown eyes as they squinted at the other contestants. They cringed in fear as he took his stand. He snarled at them, eventually roaring at them. The crowd cringed a little too.

"Is that a…bacca?" Mitch whispered.

"Yeah," smirked Ben, nudging him. "I don't know where they found him or how they got him into this but he's been rocking this game for far too long."

Mitch watched the game in silence, continually leaning in when he saw Hacksource on the screen. The game was shorter than normal since it was opening day, but all the same there were horrible images of the bacca ripping at people until they vanished. No one survived to death match. Hacksource won. Ben was hardly surprised. Mitch couldn't stop thinking. That first view of the bacca, looking into his eyes. The poor bacca looked so sad.


	5. Remember to Forget

**Now**

I stepped into the Pool room. It was a new idea after the battle. Husky and Kermit would teach how to battle underwater. I walked in just as it appeared Jerome and Mitch were getting to the good part of a joke that Husky didn't want to hear. I chuckled, listening to the joke, walking in and sitting beside Husky.

"I've heard this one before," I mumbled.

"Well don't ruin it!" gasped Jerome.

"This is the best part!" added Mitch.

"Where have you been!" screamed Husky, nudging me. "Class was like an hour ago."

"I was busy," I shrugged.

"Busy tagging a building," whispered Jerome to Mitch.

"Shut up, fuzzy!" I snapped, "I could just give you a little push and you'd be soggy for the next twenty-four hours."

Jerome cringed, turning away and mumbling something under his breath. Mitch giggled, nodding at me. I nodded back. Somehow, over the past few months, I'd become good friends with Mitch and Jerome. They were like brothers to me now. It was strange when you but a lot of thought into it.

"So, how's the whole Hunger Games thing tomorrow? Excited?" I hummed, turning the conversation a different direction.

Jerome and Mitch high fived. Husky groaned, lying down. I slipped off my shoes as the three mumbled to themselves about excitement and dread, putting my feet into the pool. At the sound of my feet entering the water, Husky perked up, nudging me.

"The pool isn't for that!" he snapped.

"Oh come on," I shrugged, "like you don't do this."

He opened his mouth to argue but quickly shut it. Mitch and Jerome chuckled quietly but were silenced by a signature Husky glare. I burst into laughter at that. Husky quickly turned to me. I covered my mouth, watching the water warp around my feet. It felt good.

"Say, Jane, it's your one year anniversary isn't it?" Jerome hummed, sitting beside me.

"Anniversary?" I mumbled.

"Yeah…it's been a year since the squid thing," explained Mitch.

"Oh…yeah…" I whispered. Was it getting cold in here?

"Still haunting you a bit?" offered Husky, lying down again.

"Haunting?" I perked, almost offended by how quick they realized it was bothering me.

"Everyone's haunted by the event that led them here," nodded Mitch.

"Or things before that," added Husky.

"First year anniversary is always the roughest but it gets easier," hummed Jerome, nudging me.

"What was your guys' first haunting?" I asked.

Suddenly, the three became silent. They remained that way. I snarled, completely pissed off suddenly. They avoided eye contact, humming to themselves and looking at anything that moved. I shook my head, taking up my shoes, and walking away. The three perked, watching me leave.

"Thanks guys for sharing and making me feel better. Thanks for that…" I snarled, leaving.

"Jane, wait!" called Husky, but I didn't even bother to turn away.

I marched through the halls, not heading anywhere particular. I managed to avoid Ian and easily brushed passed Deadlox. And yet somehow I couldn't avoid dear old Seto. Then again, its impossible to avoid Seto when he really wanted to talk to you.

"Jane!" he fumed.

I stopped, made eye contact, listened to half of what he said, clasped my hands together, and put on the best smile I could before spilling the best lie I could to him.

"Got to go, Seto. Busy, busy, you know!" I hummed, walking off.

I quickly reappeared at his side. Hate it when he does that. He frowned at me, eyebrow raised. I sighed, looking at him again. He leaned over, nearly pressed his nose on mine. I smiled all the same, mostly because I knew it upset him.

"Yes, dear Seto," I smirked.

"How dare you take my apprentice out of my watch without permission nor request!" howled Seto. A few people began to look at us.

"One…it was her idea," I shrugged, waving a finger. "Two…it isn't like anything bad happened."

"Bad happened!" he hissed. "You made a child who can barely enchant an item to not only teleport but also to do so under pressure!"

"You realized I have no idea what you're talking about," I mumbled.

That seemed to break something in him. I could see fire dance in his eyes as he contemplated murder. He let out a sigh, standing up straight and shaking his head. He began to walk away.

"Someday…you should think things through," he snapped.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. Unfortunately, he was probably right or this would come and bite me in the butt someday. I marched out of the main HQ, taking the elevator up to the dorms. Somehow I had just gotten tired. I was cold and tired. A good amount of time in my room should help me. Right?


	6. Phone Call Out

The dorm rooms aren't much. Some rooms are singles, most are doubles and a few have three beds. Some officers have been talking about adding a fourth bed just to maximize space for any future recruits. I am lucky to have a single room. The rooms usually look the same anyhow. A window facing out, a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a bulletin board. I gave my bulletin board to someone else.

I reached my room fairly tired but upon lying down I was full awake. I sighed, looking around, eventually out the window. The sky was growing cloudy. It seemed like a lovely day to rain. The light blueness of the sky was fading under the deep grey of the passing clouds. Oh well. I rolled over, reaching for the phone. A few people got phones, usually brought them with them and have to have them scanned and checked and what not.

A flash of memory. I saw my old cell phone and the panicked messages from Ashley. The memory of the docks which had been torn to shreds. I shivered, feeling cold and bitter. Memory ached. I shook my head. I didn't need this. I snatched my phone and dialed the only number I would. I waited until the ringing stopped and someone answered on the other end. I almost forgot how much I missed that voice. Years a childhood flashed by, ending with that one horrid week.

"Hey, Ashley," I sighed, lying on my back.

"Jane! It's been two months!" she gasped.

"I know…I'm sorry," I whispered.

"So…how goes things? Anything cool? Any new events?"

"No…nothing big," I hummed.

"Your definition of big is different than mine," she snapped.

I chuckled. "Nothing has happened, mostly moving in and a few training junk."

"So…when do I get in?"

I sighed again, rolling my eyes though she couldn't see. "Believe me I'm trying."

I heard her sigh.

"I'm trying so hard," I pleaded. "Sky's just in a mood. He yelled at Kermit the other day. It was so out of character…"

"Wow."

"It's okay. He'll come around," I assured.

"Right. Hey, are you an officer yet?"

That seemed to be a reoccurring theme for me. Everyone seemed curious why I wasn't ranked up there with Ty or Husky or even Jerome and Mitch. I can say gladly that Sky tried talking to me about it but I narrowly avoided the conversation. For some reason that subject leaves a nasty taste in my mouth. I don't like to think about it.

"No…" I mumbled.

"Why not? You got a codename even?"

Another thing haunting me, codename. Everyone has one except new coming recruits. Usually after a month or so you get a codename. I've been here a year. Jerome and Mitch definitely bug me about it. Seto brings it up on occasion. Husky will mention it sometimes. Even Ian brings it up.

"No…I just don't need a codename. I'm Jane…everyone calls me that anyway," I shrugged.

"How do you get codenames anyway? How does that work?" she commented.

"Well it's either a nickname that caught on or a collective naming by the army."

"Sounds complicated."

"Agreed."

I closed my eyes, listening to Ashley go on about college. It sounded complicated. Eyes shut, I could vividly see the events that happened a year ago. It all seemed like yesterday. I could feel a stinging at my side and choking feeling in my throat. I felt like I was drowning. I groaned, shaking my head. I was barely listening to Ashley. I could feel my heart racing the more I remembered. Racing.

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of the knock on the door.


	7. Lunch with a Bacca

**Five Years ago**

A clattering from outside stirred Mitch from his seat. He stood up, looking around. The clattering continued, growing slightly louder. Mitch sighed, leaving the table and stepping outside after a slight glance at his axe. It was probably a squirrel, he assured himself. He smiled happily, thinking about how he might offer the animal food or a little piece of something from his home. Rounding the corner of the house, he stopped.

"So…not a squirrel," he whispered.

He silenced himself, watching the fuzzy creature continue to crash through the trashcans. The fur was newly matted, tangled with a few twigs and leaves. His hands were soaked with mud that easily blended into his dark brown fur. His teeth were bared as he dug into the can deeper. He couldn't seem to find what he was looking for.

Mitch perked, remember a similar event happening not too long ago. So, he decided to do a similar thing. He stepped forward slowly, looking around to make sure no one else was around to aggravate the events. He grew closer, feeling his heart race but it only made him smile.

"Hello…" he eventually hummed.

The bacca spun around quickly, leaping upon Mitch and shoving him the ground. Mitch struggled, rolling away for a moment and crawled toward a nearby tree. The bacca snarled, curing his hands into fists. Mitch shook his head, holding out a hand.

"Now what a minute!" he gasped. "I just want to help…"

"Help?" hissed the bacca. "Help!?"

"You hungry?" Mitch offered, looking around. "I was eating lunch myself. It's my day off so I prepared a meatloaf."

The bacca looked at him curiously, almost startled. Mitch slowly stood up, holding out his hand still in peace. He stepped toward the bacca, smiling lightly. The bacca stepped back each step he took forward. Mitch sighed.

"I bet to food I made is better than the trash," grumbled Mitch. "Not much better but at least its fresh."

The bacca chuckled a little, nodding while rolling his eyes. Mitch brushed himself off, marching around the house and leading the bacca inside. The cabin hadn't changed much since Mitch inherited it. The food was already on the table which the bacca quickly ate without any objections from Mitch who ate some bread and peanut butter. Eventually, the bacca stopped.

"Do I know you?" he hummed.

"Hmm?" perked Mitch.

"I feel like I've gone through this before," he shrugged.

"I did this once…" Mitch admitted. "When I was little…"

The bacca nodded. "Thanks then…"

"No problem."

A moment of silence.

"You're the bacca from Peterson's Hunger Games…aren't you?" mumbled Mitch.

"Yes."

"Did you escape?"

"Yes."

Mitch sighed, nodding. This seemed slightly weird discussing this. Somehow, he already knew what the bacca would reply. It was like they already knew each other. Another moment of silence, longer than the last. Mitch thought carefully about what he was doing and the horrible things that could happen with this.

"That place was a prison," snarled the bacca, curling his fists. "They held me there…treated me like a beast! I can speak! I can think! I am a no different than anyone else!"

Mitch nodded, looking away. Something clicked in his head, making his smile. He leapt up, running toward the room. The bacca perked, watching Mitch leave. Fear struck his thoughts, forcing the bacca to stand and look around hastily. Mitch returned with his father's suit.

"Then you shouldn't be running nude, dude…" chuckled Mitch, offering the suit.

The bacca laughed proudly, nodding and feeling at the suit. Soft as silk, he thought. He changed quickly and the two laughed at the sudden change in atmosphere. It was strange. Instant friendship it seemed.

"Your names…Mitch, right?"

It was growing late in the day when this was brought up. Mitch was growing tired after a crazy day of storytelling, laughter and a bacca running around in a suit. Mitch was cooking up some noodles, which was he default meal when it wasn't worth cooking anything else. The bacca sat at the table, looking out the window at the trees.

"Yeah…" he nodded.

"I remember meeting you now…" he hummed, looking at Mitch. "You remember?"

"Yes…well, parts," he chuckled.

"I'm Jerome…" he sighed.

Mitch turned around, looking at him. The sadness was back in the bacca's eyes, the same he'd seen at the games. Mitch sighed, shaking his head. Long day. A very long day. He turned back around when there was a knock at the door. Jerome leapt from his chair. The knocking pounded at the wooden door.

"Open up!"


	8. Games Begin

**Now**

I realized I'm not the best story teller the other day. I put little unimportant details in. Like I was going to talk about who was at the door when I was talking to Ashley – it was Sky, by the way – but I decided to skip the boring parts. Basically we discussed how I refuse to take officer position, refuse to get a codename, and my upcoming birthday. Boring stuff, I assure you. I know what you want though. A good battle. Well…on Saturday, the Hunger Games opened up.

I was running late. I was dashing through the empty building, trying to get around to the main arena. A few others were trailing around but I wanted to see the opening, when they introduce everyone. I entered the main viewing area. They were like a coliseum seating, viewing a miniature map below. The map was expanded though, showing the main center and the empty stands. Below us was the actual arena. The spectating feature, which would allow the viewers to follow a specific person via hologram, would activate when the game began.

"Jane!"

Lucky for me, Cliff had saved me a seat. The whole stadium was filled. A few seats were empty, mostly because some people had to work on maintaining the system and checking the borders and what not. I just barely got out of it. Sitting down, the lights cut and spotlights danced on the center circle.

"Welcome our Hunger Game officers!"

I had no idea who was announcing. It almost sounded prerecorded by the Captain.

"Introducing first…leader of the army, fighter of squids…Sky!"

Sky came running onto the field, soaking up the random cheers. It was like a football game a little bit. He took to one of the stands, watching the field lock him in. He cringed a little, but relaxed, looking around and smiling. Before the announcer could announce the next officer, the crowd laughed at the random officer running onto the field. I chuckled a little, shaking my head. Bashur.

"And…well…uh…Bashur…" mumbled the announcer.

Bashur appeared to have painted himself recently. He looked like a large melon man. His hair was pasted to his skin by the paint. His eyes were always hidden under his 3D glasses. His mouth was open wide as he laughed to himself, racing onto the field, stumbling on a invisible rock, and jumping onto his stand beside Sky. The leader shook his head lightly, watching Bashur press up against the force field keep him in.

"Next on our list of officers…he's our lovable frog…Kermit!"

Kermit, a frog like hybrid, wandered onto the field slowly. His suit, a tailored white, glistened in the light as he marched onto the field, waved a little bit, mumbled something under his breath, and took the stand next to Bashur. He jumped as the field closed him in.

"The maker of cake and derp of our team…Ssundee!"

Ssundee skipped onto the field. His glasses were off and he had his eyes crossed. A huge grin pressed on his face as he shouted, "Aren't I pretty!" He slipped his sunglasses back on, nodding and waving to the crowd before taking to his stand by Kermit.

"Our very own space man…here to defend the skies…TrueMU!"

Jason flew into the arena with a blast of flame behind him. He raced around the circle, grazing Ian who let out a yelp. Jason chuckled, landing on his stand, beside Ian, and doing one of those stupid little gun points to the crowd.

"The destructive Bacca and Canadian with a swift cutting axe…Jerome and Mitch!"

Only those two could get announced together. Jerome entered first, making little punches at the air. Mitch leapt over him, punching the air above him. They high fived, taking to their stands beside Sky.

"One of our two guests of the event…the ever loving captain with a love of TNT and a need for revenge…Captain Sparklez!"

I never personally met the captain. I've heard stories about him, mostly about how he enjoys good music and he loves a good bang. He had black hair that fluttered just above his blue eyes. He had red glasses on the tip of his nose. A black suit jacket over a raggedy white shirt. He offered a light smile, waving carefully, and quickly took his spot beside Mitch.

"Our second guest of the night…his laugh in contagious and he isn't afraid to troll you…Bodil 40!"

I never met Bodil either. I heard his name was Martin though. He wore a suit with yellow under shirt and oddly colored tie. Sunglasses covered his eyes but his large smile made up for it. He giggled happily, taking his time to look around and wander to his stand beside Sparklez.

I missed the next announcement. I had gotten distracted by little Bodil giggling to himself. The man looked something like a robot, with a large jaw and big blue eyes. He wore what looked like red and grey but he took his stand quickly without a word or wave.

"And player of crafting…NoahCraftFTW!"

I met Noah once. He had an almost teal colored jacket over a black shirt. He had purple pants and black shoes. The most noticeable thing about him was not his headphones but his white eyes. I couldn't tell if they were natural or contacts but they freaked me out. Noah took to his stand beside the last guy, looking around happily.

They announced Husky, Ryan, and Seto next. Husky was called a fish which he quickly and passionately argued with the announcer over. He then took his stand. Ryan, dressed as Batman, flashed his cloak often before taking his spot beside Husky. Seto teleported in, got reported, got kicked out, returned, and took his stand with a sorrow look upon his face.

"Our second to last officer is…Antvemon!"

Antvemon was one of Sky's trusted helpers but when you talked to him, you didn't know what to say exactly. His hair was cropped, goatee beard, golden necklace and black armored suit. He marched in swiftly, smiled proudly and took his stand. One stand left, and only one man was missing.

"And last, but surely not least…Deadlox!"

Ty walked in, hands in his pockets. He crossed the field and took the last stand. The final field activated and game was set. Chests appeared in front of them, and everyone prepared to run into the center or race out of that hell. Mitch and Jerome glanced at each other, grinning like twisted little demon twins.

"The rules are simple. A good clean game. Teams are allowed…mostly because Jerome and Mitch asked for them. Let the games begin!"

* * *

**Five Years ago**

The knock at the door was forgettable, thought Mitch. It didn't mean anything. He opened the door, talked to the officers that were searching for Jerome and told them the very basic lie he'd taught himself. He told them Jerome wasn't there. They nodded. They believed him. Or so he thought.

He didn't hear the late night occur. He felt the cold breeze once it was done. He sat up slowly, looking around. The window…the door…they were both ripped open. The place was still neat though. Mitch jumped up, looking around. Jerome. Where was Jerome?

"Jerome!" screamed Mitch.

No answer.

"Jerome!" pleaded Mitch, looking around the house.

Jerome was nowhere to be found. Mitch raced outside, looking around. He slept through the whole mess? He missed them taking him? Mitch snarled. This wasn't right. This…wasn't…right.


	9. Fight Me at...What Again?

**Now**

The Hunger Games with officers only is interesting. First off, of course, Jerome and Mitch took a few swings at Quinton and Ty. They survived, luckily. The first causality was actually the one guy I missed in the intro. Cliff told me his name was Nooch or something like that. He was in the mines when out of nowhere Ian sprang up. The two were weaponless, pounding at each other with fists.

Nooch was fairly strong, hitting Ian hard enough to make his nose bleed and quickly turn his skin purple. Ian managed to give the machine and quick kick to the sternum, launching him away. The robot slammed against the nearby tree, getting dazed. This gave Ian enough time to give a swift uppercut to knock Nooch out. He cheered on his victory, which was quickly stomped on by Ty who actually wielded a blade.

The ever exciting Bashur ran around for a while, finding a helmet in an old house, and a wooden stick. He wandered into an old neighborhood, looting chests when the crowd went silent. Antvenom was sneaking up him, holding onto a wooden blade. A smile crept on his face as he spotted Bashur in one of the houses. He tapped the glass, getting the watermelons attention. Bashur held out his stick, swinging it wildly. Antvenom got him with a lucky jab to the chest.

Meanwhile, Noah was stalking Bodil. The little guest was moving in an open field. Noah was among the trees boarding the fields. He had a stone blade. Bodil had full leather armor. Noah had gone for a few people earlier like Nooch and Ian but failed to complete the assassination. This one, he was going to succeed, you could see it in his pale eyes. He dashed out as Bodil opened a chest. A mighty swing hit Bodil across the back of the head. He yelped, shoving Noah back.

"Take this, laughing man!" Noah cried, taking another swing.

Bodil's armor cracked. First the helmet cracked, then the chest plate cracked straight down the middle. Bodil lashed out a while, punching and hitting but failed to hurt Noah badly. Finally, Noah held up his blade, slamming down on the top of the poor man's head, getting him out of the game.

We turn back to Antvenom who was stalking Sky. The leader was flailing about, as he does best. He had found, after long searching, a butter helmet, boots and sword. Antvenom had armored up himself with some iron and leather mismatch. His sword was now stone. He nodded lightly, waiting as Sky grew closer. The crowd gasped in surprise as just when Antvenom was about to strike, Sky hit first. He took a jab at Antvenom's chest. He groaned, stumbling backward. Sky cut at him again. A few more jabs and cuts between them before Antvenom finally disappeared.

Sky turned around into another battle as Kermit punched him hard in the cheek. Sky yelped, stumbling to the ground. Kermit hit again, but this time Sky was prepared, cutting forward. He hit Kermit's chest, which was unprotected. The frog wailed, running off. Sky pulled out a bow and arrow, taking a shot. After several missed shots, he hit the frog's back, defeating him.

"Hey…watch this."

The camera switched over to Captain Sparklez who was walking cautiously behind Noah. The latter didn't even notice as Sparklez came closer and closer. Finally, he punched Noah to the ground. Noah rolled over, taking a jab at the captain. Jordan pulled from his inventory an iron blade, surprising Noah with a swift slash. Noah cried out, kicking at Jordon but missing. Just as Jordan was about to finish the job, a shot out of nowhere finished Noah off.

"What!" gasped the captain, looking around.

"This!" cheered Mitch, running up and hitting Jordan with a diamond blade.

The crowd went crazy. How did we miss Mitch getting a diamond blade? Jordan's iron blade and armor was nothing compared to Mitch's lightning reactions and attacks. The battle didn't last long.

"Who is left?" hummed Cliff.

"Uh…" I mumbled. "Sky, Ty, Husky, Mitch and Jerome, Jason, Seto, and Ryan I think."

The screen showed all of them approaching the center for the chests reloading. It was an interesting match thus far. I felt something was wrong though. It was pain deep within my chest. At without warning, there was a loud bang, followed by a crash.


	10. Deal with The Devil

**Five years ago**

He couldn't understand why he was so upset. After all, he barely knew the bacca, but it burned him to know that someone came into his house and took that bacca away without reason or notification. It burned him. His fists clenched as he stormed up the arena office. The guards watched him approach pass tinted sunglasses. Mitch snarled, marching up and without a word otherwise, punched the guard closed to him.

"Freeze!" gaped the second guard as the first reeled from the damage.

The second guard rushed at Mitch. The born Canadian grabbed the guard by the arm, spotting the name tag reading Dan, and threw the man over his shoulder. The guard howled, echoing off the building. He hit the crowd with a thud and groan, but began moving to stand up. Mitch stepped forward to battle with the guard more, but the first guard grabbed Mitch around the throat.

"You are under arrest!" ordered the first.

"Not until I get to talk to your boss," hissed Mitch, bending over, forcing the guard off the ground.

Mitch rushed back, slamming the first guard into the wall. The grip loosened but didn't break. The second guard –Dan – came running at Mitch. Shoving the first guard against the wall again, Mitch kicked his legs up and shoved the second guard back, returning him to the ground. Mitch pulled away from the wall and shoved against it again. The first guard groaned, releasing his grip and slumping. Mitch spun around, kicking the guard in the perfect place. The poor man whimpered, gripping his pants.

"Anything else?" snarled Mitch.

"Me."

Mitch turned around, mouth opening slowly. A large third guard stood up. He was twice Mitch's size and with little effort ripped off the police shirt he was wearing. Mitch gulped, pulling his checkered hoodie in closer. The third guard cracked his knuckles. The second guard was beginning to stand up again. Mitch nodded, sighing. He raised one hand, motioning for the large guard to come and get some.

"C'mon, you little pussy," Mitch mumbled. "Make my day."

The guard hissed, running at Mitch. With a sigh, Mitch stepped back, placing one foot on the building. As the guard approach, Mitch pushed back on the building, launching at the guard. He hit the thick man with a crash, feeling something his neck pop. The guard stumbled back, allowing Mitch to collapse to the ground. He was starting to hurt from the battle. The guard shook his head, brushing off some imaginary dirt from his shoulder. Mitch groaned, moving to stand. The guard kicked Mitch in the stomach, forcing him back down. Mitch coughed, spitting on the ground.

"I've got him."

The second guard grabbed Mitch by the arms, placing his foot on Mitch's back and lifting the boy's head to face the third guard. The final guard smirked, cracking his knuckles again. He gave Mitch a few swift punches to the stomach until blood came up. The second guard shoved him to the ground, walking away.

"Maybe next time kid," chuckled the third guard, walking off.

"Or this time."

Mitch groaned, sitting up enough to look behind him. The guards quickly saluted as the man approached the fallen Mitch. Mitch sighed, turning away. It was Peterson, the head of the Hunger Games. The man was dressed in a cleaned, pressed suit and black shoes. He looked down at Mitch with a judging expression.

"And you are?" the man spoke.

"Mitchell," he replied.

"What are you doing here, making my men look like fools?"

"Fools!" shouted the third guard, clearly offended. "We beat this kid's butt!"

"Not before he managed to take out one of you and nearly take out another," sighed the boss. "Why are you here, Mitchell?"

"You took my guest," smirked Mitch, sitting up. "A lovely hybrid by the name of Jerome."

"Hacksource," corrected Peterson. "And he is our property…not your guest."

"He is a living, breathing, and intelligent being that deserves his freedom," snarled Mitch.

"Don't tell me you're one of those hybrid rights activists?" Peterson shook his head.

"You don't have the right to do this to him! He doesn't deserve it!" shouted Mitch.

"Know your place boy!" hissed the third guard, kicking Mitch down again.

"Enough of that!" cursed Peterson, smacking the guard hard. "Let the boy speak his mind. It is his right to do so!"

"But it isn't Jerome's?" whispered Mitch.

"As far as I know, hybrids have yet to own rights," nodded Peterson, glancing at Mitch.

"That's…not fair," cried Mitch, shaking his head. Everything hurt.

"What would you care to do about it?"

Mitch looked up slowly, glaring at Peterson. Letting his thoughts work, he eventually smiled. Peterson raised an eyebrow, curious. Mitch sat up again slowly. Red was dripping down his chin.

"I'll make a deal with you," Mitch hummed.

"A deal?" perked Peterson.

"My life for his," whispered Mitch.

"That's no fair," sighed Peterson, shaking his head.

"Then suggest something else," snarled Mitch.

"You enter my Hunger Games," instructed Peterson, kneeling down to Mitch's level. "You win, you both go free. You lose, you both are mine."

Mitch didn't realize how hard he was panting. His heart was racing in his wounded chest. Everything hurt, and yet he still burned. He burned with rage, with frustration. Things weren't fair. In that moment, he remembered his father. His father stood before him, speaking words of wisdom and said 'it only takes a man to change the world."

"Deal," smirked Mitch, nodding.


	11. Coming Back

**Now**

I was out of my seat before the alarms went off. Cliff was chasing after me along with several other recruits. We went down a floor, entering the actual arena level. The explosion was large enough to cloud the air, forcing the fake sky to glitch. Smoke was pooling near the far end of the arena.

"Branch out and check the perimeter," I ordered. A few ran off. "The rest of you, with me. We'll see what broke in."

We took off, following the smoke to the edge of the map. Along the way, we were joined by some of the officers. Husky, Ty and Ryan took the lead, explaining what they assumed what was happening. Someone had broken in, but how did they find us? We arrived at the wall, which was displayed as a glass wall, which was broken open and flooding the room with smoke. Upon arrival we met Sky, Jerome and Mitch.

"Everyone okay?" asked Husky.

"We're missing Jason and Seto," mumbled Sky, glancing at Husky.

"Over here!"

We spun around, spotting Jason flying in. Turning back toward the break in the wall, Seto had appeared with hands behind his back. He offered a smile, shrugging. Sky rolled his eyes but smiled proudly.

"Who do you think it is?" Mitch mumbled, looking around.

"Now where is the fun in knowing?"

The voice was unfamiliar to me but I watched as Mitch and Jerome snarled, baring teeth and clenching fists around their weapons. The smoke parted, revealing a well-dressed, older man. His hair was greying and suit was getting tainted by the smoke. Hands behind his back, he nodded at us.

"Jerome…Mitch…It has been a while, has it not," the man smirked.

"Peterson!" the two hissed. "You disgusting swine!"

"Now, now…is that any way to welcome an old friend."

The others had to grab a hold of the two to prevent whatever horrors they wanted to do to this man. Peterson scoffed, looking away. I could feel the burning rage Jerome and Mitch had for this man. Every recruit was beginning to glare at him.

"What are you doing here?" Sky mumbled, marching forward to represent.

"I am here for your services of course," the man nodded, stepping out of the smoke further.

"Don't trust this pig, Sky!" howled Jerome.

"He's a two faces demon!" hissed Mitch.

"What services?" Sky offered, completely ignoring the two.

"You see after long last, after those two brats ruined me…" the man shuttered, containing his anger, "I have regained my acclaimed Hunger Games stadium for the comeback. But…thus far the contestants are childish and boring. You…professionals should make the game exciting."

"Over my dead body!" shouted Jerome.

"If Jerome and Mitch didn't make it clear, we decline," nodded Sky.

Peterson sighed, shaking his head. He smiled lightly, putting one hand to his forehead and shook his head again. He looked over at us, grinning lightly. Mitch and Jerome stepped back, rage fading and worry sinking in. I looked around.

"I'm sure I can persuade you," he whispered.

The smoke had cleared mostly during our conversation but obviously not well enough to reveal Peterson's guards. They had left the sanctuary of the smokes, and lashed out. They grabbed onto the recruits, shoving them to the ground and pointing guns at us. We were barely prepared. I felt the grip on my wrists just as Cliff let out a scream. They pulled me down. I could feel the gun pressed to my back.

I glanced over, watching Cliff do battle with her captor. At first, she did a minor teleportation. Seto had explained a while back that random teleportations can happen when the heart rate is elevated or something surprises the user. Both probably occurred when Cliff teleported. She didn't go far, which was lucky for the guard. He spun around, knocking her on the head with the butt of his gun. Seto let out a yelp.

"Stop!" gaped Sky, glaring at Peterson.

"I will…after you agree," Peterson smirked.

"No!" pleaded Jerome. "I'm not going back!"

"He's a liar and cheat, Adam! Don't trust a word he says," argued Mitch.

"Then by all means," shrugged the man. "Boys."

All the guns clicked. I held my breath, listening to the heavy breathing of the man behind me. The world seemed so small and yet so big. I shut my eyes waiting for the end. Memory and emotion flooded into my body.

"Fine!"

I opened my eyes, looking up. Sky was standing inches from Peterson. Jerome and Mitch were close together, eyeing the ground. Peterson smiled, nodding slowly. Sky was snarling, baring teeth, and glasses slipped to the tip of his nose.

"I knew you would see it my way," he nodded.

"You can't do this!" gasped a recruit.

"Who do you want?" grumbled Sky.

"You lot. You 'officers' that survived the beginning of our so called Hunger Games. Best of the best, yes? I am glad to see that Jerome and Mitch are still among the best of the best."

The two glared at him, snarling. Peterson sighed, motioning for the guards to back away. They did as they were told, shoving the recruits to the ground. Some recruits we were. Sky sighed, nodding. He motioned for the officers to head through the hole in the wall. At first, they didn't respond but eventually headed out.

"Sky…you can't do this," I cringed, shaking my head. "What if this turns out to be a trap?"

"Then you know what to do," he replied with a nod.

Sky followed his officers through the smoke and vanished from sight. The recruits stood up to get them back but Peterson's guards quickly pointed their guns back to us. Peterson sighed, shaking his head and motioning the guards off.

"A deal is a deal, eh?" Peterson perked. "Or do you not trust in your leader's…leadership?"

"Villain," I hissed.

"Sticks and stones, love," he shrugged, fading with his guards into the shadows of the smoke.

"What now, Jane?" Cliff groaned, rubbing the back of her head.

"I don't know, Cliff. I don't know…"


	12. Introducing BajanCandian

**Five years ago**

Mitch felt his heart racing as he stood waiting. He was alone, waiting behind a gate for his entrance. Glancing behind him, he saw the guards that had been watching him since they locked him up. He fixed his jacket and messed with his shirt. Had to keep it secret, he though with a grin, until I find Jerome. He could hear the announcements faintly. Light was filtering through the gates as the words echoed.

"And finally…"

Mitch sighed. What mess had he gotten himself into? He could still hear his father yelling at him for nearly getting himself killed for protecting a squirrel. Jerome was a lot bigger than a squirrel. Mitch laughed at that. What had he done? The gates began to slide open. Mitch felt his heart beat faster.

"…our hometown guest…"

Why was time moving so slowly, Mitch thought bitterly. Every second felt like hours. His body was already aching and the fight hadn't even started yet. The gate had fully opened and the guards nudged him forward. He stepped out into the arena. Bright lights shone unto him, nearly blinding him. Above him was a surprisingly real blue sky. It seemed so real and so close he could almost touch it.

"…the BajanCandian!"

Mitch's stride soon became a run as he headed toward the last podium left. He glanced at his opponents. They glared at him with twisted grins and evil smirks. Some were mutants and hybrids of all kinds. Mitch took his stand, stepping onto the elevated platform. A field locked came up around him, making the space seem tight. Even if he moved outside it, it quickly moved him back onto the platform.

Mitch smiled lightly, glancing at those around him until he caught the eyes of the contestant across from him. Mitch opened his mouth slightly, almost shocked at the perfect placement. Directly across from him was none other than Jerome. The fuzzy hybrid looked at Mitch completely shocked and awestruck. Mitch offered a wink. Jerome shook his head.

Mitch barely heard the countdown going off around him until it reached the final. Three…two…one…the sound of a gun and the fields fell down. Mitch immediately felt a punch hit him hard on the head and kick to the side. He collapsed to the ground, looking up. It was a hybrid, some sort of human-beast combination.

"Hey, ugly, what's cooking?" chuckled Mitch.

"Noob," snapped the hybrid, preparing to strike.

Something hit the hybrid hard, forcing the hybrid to the ground. Mitch looked up. Blood already cluttered the ground by the center chests. Most were running away while Jerome stood on a chest triumphantly wielding a bow. The hybrid groaned, standing up, an arrow sticking from his side. Mitch struggled to get to his feet.

"Run, Mitch!" ordered Jerome, loading the bow with another arrow. "Run!"

"But…" mumbled Mitch, looking around.

"Run!"

Mitch took off, running deep within the nearby forest. The shadows consumed him as he ran. For the first time ever, he just ran with no thought of stopping.


	13. Technical Difficulties

**Now**

Madness is the only word that details the mess the Army was in after Peterson left with the officers. Sky, Ty, Quinton, Ryan, Seto, Jason, Mitch and Jerome were gone which meant so was the major chain of command. Ian and the others were scurrying around, trying to figure out what was to be done. Cliff was forced to take Seto's position, enchanting items and making potions. I was actually waiting for her just to pass out from exhaustion.

I was doing my share of rushing around. I helped load up weapons and assure people that everything was okay. People were getting fearful. No Sky, no Army, right? What hope was left? I wasn't too hopeful either but running around helping others beat sinking into a dark abyss of hopelessness.

"Ian, give me good news, please…" I pleaded, marching into what used to be the command room on the tree house level.

"Haven't got any," gaped Ian, running around to clean up the table.

"Come on Sunde," I whimpered.

"It's pronounced Ssundee," he corrected.

"The difference?" I snarled.

"Two 'S's and two 'E's," he proudly hummed, waving a finger.

"You are crazy," I snapped.

"Don't take your frustration out on me," he grumbled, shaking his head.

"Jane!"

Cliff came running in, shutting the doors quickly behind her. She looked frazzled and ready to fall at any minute. Ian hummed as he worked, cleaning up the rest of the office. I rolled my eyes, smiling as he hummed the lyrics to one of the Captain's songs. I turned to Cliff who quickly grabbed onto my shoulders.

"Help me out!" she pleaded. "I can barely handle this when Seto tells me what to and now he isn't here! I just can't do it! I'm not a sorcerer yet!"

"I'm sorry, Cliff, but we're low on supplies. We need the hand," I sighed.

Cliff whimpered, cat ears lowering, and eyed the ground. She pulled away, taking a seat in one of the round table chairs. Ian pouted at her, setting the papers in front of her and sitting beside her. Somehow, she had screwed up his organization system and he had given up all together.

"What are we going to do about Sky and the others?" sighed Ian, resting his chin on one hand.

"We need to get into that arena and figure out what's going on," I instructed.

"How?" Cliff argued.

"We could just walk in…all we have to do it pay admission," I shrugged.

"With what money?" Ian shook his head.

"The Sky Army has no money?" I groaned. I could feel my eye twitching.

"Nope," nodded Ian.

"We have rooms and rooms of gold…I mean, buttered colored…everything," I snapped.

"I don't know if that's real you know what or not," offered Ian.

"Oh come on!" I shouted.

"Doesn't anyone know someone on the outside with money?" begged Cliff.

"I haven't had contact with anyone outside the army in years," gaped Ian.

"But I have," I smirked, stepping out.

**Five Years ago**

Mitch could barely feel his feet anymore. Everyone hurt. His heart was slowing with his pace. No more, he thought, slowing to a walk. The woods were parting around him, splitting into houses. They were all destroyed and broken down. Mitch entered each one slowly, praying for a bed mostly. Occasionally, he found chests but most were looted empty. Then, he opened one with a single loaf of bread in it and a stick.

Suddenly, Mitch felt overly hungry. He heard his stomach grumble and ache within him. He pulled the bread out of the chest, scarfing it down instantly. Not even crumbs were left. He panted, gasping for air. His mouth was dry. Mitch groaned, sitting up against the wall.

"And I'm…supposed to win?" he panted.

Noises from outside made Mitch jump. He sprang to his feet, looking around. He looked outside, watching the shadows dance. Night was approaching. Wasn't it morning when this whole mess started? Mitch groaned again. His stomach ached again. Everything ached. Noises. Footsteps and creaks. Mitch looked around. Something was coming. Someone was coming.

"Who's out there!" he hissed.

Mitch groaned. He quickly reached back into the chest, pulling out the stick and wielding it as his only weapons. Heart racing. Noises echoing. What was coming? Mitch stepped back toward the wall, or where the wall was supposed to be. The destroyed house was lacking that wall. Mitch's foot scrapped the end, sending adrenaline through his system suddenly. He readjusted his stance, and leaping away from the whole. The footsteps grew louder.

Mitch snarled. "Let the games begin…"


	14. Fine Print

**Now**

I checked her watch, looking around. The games were about to begin and their tickets had yet to arrive. I glanced over at Cliff who was chilling over by the door, watching the people enter with a weary smile. I sighed, looking around again. Where was she? Cliff came over to me, looking out with me.

"Are you sure she'll show up?" Cliff mumbled.

"I know she will," I nodded.

"Jane!"

I must admit, I smiled when I saw Ashley. Don't tell her, but I felt overjoyed to see her again. She had grown some, bundled her hair into a bun, and was wearing her signature 'Ninja' hoodie. She ran up, hugged me, did a double take look at Cliff and turned back to smile and me.

"Long time no see, eh, Jane?" she hummed. "Who's your friend?"

"I'm Cliff Diver, but mostly I go by Cliff."

"I'm Ashley."

The two shook hands. Cliff had her hood up, hiding her cat ears. Ashley would have a field day when she saw those, I thought happily. Ashley dug into her pockets, pulling out three tickets. Each of us took one. Cliff seemed slightly shocked by the fake that there were three tickets, one for each of us, and not two, one for me and one for her.

"Ashley is not a recruit," she whispered to me. "As a civilian, she shouldn't be allowed to follow us."

"Ashley is a diehard Sky Army fan, was possessed by squids, and I abandoned her for the last year. I owe her this much. She belongs in the Army," I argued.

Cliff nodded.

The arena was fancy, like a really big football stadium. We bypassed the concession stands and merchandise junk and found our seats. The main circle was displayed below and on the screens surrounding the rims of the upper balcony. No one had come out yet. The lights began to dim just as we got into our seats. We were right on time.

"Welcome back!"

The announcements were boring, though Ashley found some excitement from them. Random people. Pointless people. People probably roped into this just as much as our officers. Finally, holding up the end, were our officers. Ryan, Jason, Seto, Quinton, Ty, and Sky were announced just as anyone else, though unlike the others they glared at the camera. Then came Mitch and Jerome who were forced onto the field by guards.

"If you remember our last match, you will remember the terrific duo of the BajanCanadian and Hacksource."

The crowd went wild. The two were locked into their fields, finishing up the lineup of people. The lights brightened up as Peterson was displayed on the screens. He smiled like an evil villain, which he probably was.

"Now, now…this is no ordinary Hunger Games, my welcome guests."

At that moment, I felt like he was looking at me. I shook my head, looking down at the center ring. Sky was looking up at the camera. It also looked like he was looking at me. I gulped. A sudden feeling of pressure. I turned back to Peterson on the screen.

"The rules have changed. This is…the Death match Games."

Mitch and Jerome cringed, looking around with utter terrified expressions. Obviously that was not a good thing. Peterson let out a laugh, like he could see Mitch and Jerome's expressions. The crowd continued to cheer like a bunch of automated toys.

"Now, for those of you who don't know, the Death Match was an old Hunger Games event that occurred near the end of the game. In short…the deaths are real. There is no…teleportation to escape real death or pain. You die or you survive," he smirked.

I glanced back down to the center. I met Sky's eyes. At that moment, he nodded slowly. I knew what to do. I sighed, getting up from my seat. Cliff and Ashley perked, watching me leave my seat and head out. Cliff leapt up, chasing after. I glanced back, watching Ashley conflictingly look between the center and me. Eventually she got up slowly and followed.

"Now what?" Ashley murmured.

"The rules have changed," I replied.

"Rescue plan," nodded Cliff.

"We get them out of there," I agreed.

"Sounds like fun," smirked Ashley.

"As a civilian, you cannot assist us," ordered Cliff, holding up a hand to prevent Ashley from following us down the hall.

"I am as much a recruit as you are! I'm just not officially one," snapped Ashley, brushing passed her.

"We'll see about that," sighed Cliff, rolling her eyes. "Jane, how do we get in?"

"If this is anything like our arena back home," I smiled, winking at her.

She nodded, taking the lead. Hopefully, it was just like the arena at home.


	15. Enter the Game

"Jane…this was too easy."

Cliff was being a bit extra loud behind me. Ashley was silently agreeing or disagreeing with the rolling of her eyes. I just kept my mouth shut, mostly because I didn't want to agree with Cliff. We had successfully gotten into the arena undetected. No guards, no alarms, nothing. Way too easy, like Cliff said, but we got in right? One step closer to recusing the officers.

"We could look this whole place over and always be one step behind the guys," sighed Cliff, looking around. "How will we find them?"

"A signal?" Ashley offered.

"Like what?" grumbled Cliff.

"I don't just offering," shrugged Ashley, rubbing the back of her head.

"Jane, please, give us a plan!" pleaded Cliff.

"I'm thinking," I mumbled, offering a faint smile.

"Did you hear that?" perked Ashley, looking around.

"Ashley, don't scare me!" I gasped, spinning around to face her.

"I hear something myself," added Cliff.

Noises began to echo as my heart sped up. My eyes darted, picking up every detail in an attempt to find safety for us. Nothing but woods seemed to surround us. Thick and dense forests. Shadows clouded further out. Then, out of the darkness I could just barely spot a lovely little dinky house for us. I motioned for them to follow me, running off. Cliff knew to follow but Ashley stood alone a moment, perking in fear, and eventually chased after.

"Don't you think that someone would've taken that building as shelter?" suggested Cliff, looking around.

"We could easily fight them off, right? Three against one?" I smirked.

"Unless they have weapons, which is highly probable," mumbled Cliff.

"Why can't you be quiet like Seto," I grumbled.

"He has taught me to speak openly," Cliff instructed. "Well, him and his other student."

"Seto has another student?" perked Ashley, pushing around Cliff.

"Shh. Inside," I whispered, opening the door slowly.

The house from the outside looked destroyed and broken, from the inside it was just about the same. A piece of the roof was missing, most of the stairs were gone, and every wall smelt of rain. Luckily, though, there wasn't a soul around. We separated, looking around. Cliff manned the door.

"Jane, can I ask a question?" Cliff hummed, looking around.

"Ashley, don't break anything," I called, spotting Ashley on the stairs. She nodded quickly, racing upstairs. "What was that Cliff?"

"Why wouldn't you let Sky nickname you? Why wouldn't you allow him to make you an officer?" questioned Cliff. "I don't understand.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. It always bothered Cliff that I didn't have a nickname. It bothered most officers that I didn't. It bothered Sky the most. He kept bugging me about it, more than Ashley did about getting into the army. I don't know why, but I didn't like the idea of getting a nickname, becoming an officer, all that jazz if you know what I mean.

"I found stuff!" called Ashley.

"Like what?" I perked, rushing toward the stairs.

"Jane…" Cliff whispered.

I glanced back at Cliff. Her little cat ears were bent slightly as she eyed the ground. I sighed. We were going to have to talk about this, weren't we? I leaned against the staircase railing slightly. I offered a warm little smile.

"Jane, you have done great things within the army. I mean…Sky has just sat down and talked to you before. Jerome and Mitch have brought you in on pranks. Husky will talk to you about anything. Even Seto values you," gasped Cliff.

"Seto does not value me. He loves to chew me out after our little adventures. He blames me for nearly every problem!" I shouted.

"Aw, what little squabbles from two un authorized contestants."

Cliff and I spun around, spotting one of the actually contestants of the game. He was something of half hybrid, mixed with something that looked almost like a tiger. He wielded a wooden sword, which was more than either of us had. His grip tightened on the wood, almost creaking. The man smiled lightly.

"What pretty little girls," he hummed, stepping forward.

"Back off, cat," I snapped, standing in front of Cliff.

"I think your friend there is the cat," he hissed, stepping forward. "As for me, I want to win this contest for a chance at the big leagues. I want to show the world how powerful I really am."

"Never heard of you," I shrugged.

"Jane, this isn't the time to joke around," pleaded Cliff.

"The kitty is right," he purred, stepping ever closer.

He slashed his sword, cutting my sleeve. I shoved Cliff back toward the wall, kicking out toward our intruder. I made contact but not hard enough to knock him back. Instead he grabbed onto my foot, spinning me around so I collapsed to the ground. Cliff let out a scream. She was more of a behind the scene kind of recruit. Fighting wasn't her style. The hybrid kneeled over me, sword prepared to crash down.

"Shame this doesn't go toward the actual game," he snickered.

As the sword raised high, I struggled to escape. Couldn't move. A flash of memory. Drowning. My side ached. Everything spun. Couldn't focus. I shut my eyes. Make it stop. Make it stop!


	16. Prove Yourself

**Five Years Ago**

Time slowed down as Mitch swung his stick at the approaching sound. Heart pounding in his eyes. Vision blurred slightly. Fists sweaty. It was invigorating. He was thrilled, grinning as he swung the stick down. That moment quickly ended as the opponent grabbed onto the stick, pulling Mitch in close. The opponent then kicked him in the stomach, launching him across the room.

"Shot! Mitch, are you okay!"

Mitch shook his head, looking up. He rubbed the back of his head, smiling lightly at the sight of Jerome twirling the stick. Mitch nodded lightly, rolling his eyes. Jerome tossed the stick back to him. It landed in his lap.

"I'm fine," smirked Mitch, rubbing his stomach. "Nice kick you've got there, though."

"I've had a lot of work," he shrugged, offering a helping hand.

"Glad I found you so soon," sighed Mitch, taking Jerome's hand and getting to his feet.

"You are one crazy son of a gun, you know that!" snapped Jerome, pulling Mitch in close. "What do you think you're doing in this game? Do you have a death wish or something!?"

"I'm going to get you out of this mess," Mitch whispered.

"Oh, by entering it yourself!?" grumbled Jerome, shoving Mitch away. "You are one mad son of a b-"

"Then I suppose you don't want my surprise then," hummed Mitch, offering an evil grin.

"Gift?" perked Jerome, glancing at Mitch. "They pat you done before entering. You can't get in with anything."

Mitch winked, pulling off his jacket and yanking off his shirt. Jerome shook his head. Under Mitch's normal clothes was the suit he had given Jerome. Jerome rolled his eyes, looking away slightly as Mitch took off the suit and put back on his normal clothes. He offered them to Jerome.

"Civilized bacca?" Mitch offered.

"Yea, buddy," cheered Jerome, pulling them away from Mitch. "This is wrong."

"They're warm," mumbled Mitch, stepping away.

"Stop it!" gasped Jerome, shoving Mitch away.

"I promise I'll get you out of here," sighed Mitch, heading for the stairs.

"I won't let you die trying," added Jerome, finishing putting on the suit.

"Team?" smirked Mitch, offering a hand.

"Team," agreed Jerome, shaking the hand.

**Now**

A twang. It was the beautiful sound of a rope being pulled back and released that echoed through the house. It was quickly followed by a yelp of pain and a thud. The weight of someone on my stomach was gone. I opened my eyes slowly, viewing the ceiling above my head. What happened? Cliff was soon as my side, shaking me. Her lips moved but I couldn't quite hear her yet. My ears were ringing from my panic.

"What…" I mumbled.

"Are you okay!?" she gasped, obviously having repeated it several times.

"What happened?" I gasped, sitting up.

"Sharp shooting, ace!"

I turned to the stair case. Ashley stood triumphantly, wielding a bow and arrow. She even had a little grin on her lip. She leapt over the railing, racing over to me after slipping the bow on her and the arrows all in one hand. She looked between me and Cliff.

"Am I still a civilian," she snapped at Cliff.

"I'm only human," sighed Cliff, smiling lightly. "Even part hybrid, I will make mistakes."

"I don't hold grudges," offered Ashley. She then turned back to me, "Are you okay?"

"Fine, but did you…" I glanced at the fallen man beside me. "Is he dead?"

Cliff stepped over me, checking the man. She checked his pulse on his throat and his arm, nodding slowly. It took a while but eventually she turned back to me, smiling.

"He's alive," she nodded. "Probably shock that knocked him out. He doesn't handle pain well."

"Then let's get lost!" cried Ashley, pulling me to my feet.

"Go where?" perked Cliff.

"Anywhere!" nodded Ashley, pulling me along.

"She's right, Cliff. Best leave this place before sleeping beauty wakes up," I nodded.

"We just wander then?" grumbled Cliff, following slowly.

"Wandering always leads to new places," I suggested, shrugging. "C'mon, make this fun while we can.

A loud bang, followed by pops of gun fire. I slowly turned around, right into Cliff's glare. She had mastered Seto's angry look it seemed. I slowly turned back to Ashley, shrugging.

"Okay, fun is over. Wandering done. Now we run," I sighed.

We took off into the nearby woods, guards and cops chasing after us.


	17. On the Run Again

"This was not my idea of an adventure!?

I tried not to hear Ashley complain about the adventure thus far. I know it was turning out crumming. I wasn't planning on getting chased by five cops either. From the look on Cliff's face, she wasn't planning on it either. Running through the woods, all the trees seemed to blur together. My feet pounded on the grass, slipping into the soft dirt and taking off. My legs were beginning to ache. How long had we been running?

"Jane…we're never going to make it…" panted Cliff.

"We can…we have to. We have to find somewhere safe to go"

"There is nowhere safe!" shouted Ashley

At that moment, my legs gave way. My foot sunk into the mud, twisting my ankle and forcing me to collapse. Ashley and Cliff rushed passed me but quickly noticed that I had stopped. They spun around, watching the guards come up to me and lift me up by my collar. I thrashed, kicking and punching but didn't hit anything.

"What's up, kid?" the guard snapped.

"Wouldn't you like to know!" I hissed, kicking quickly.

For once, my attack made contact. My foot hit his chest. He grunted, releasing me and dropping me. I rolled over, missing another guard trying to step on me. I heard the twang of an arrow and watched the third guard fall with pain in his arm. The first guard snarled, reaching out to grab me. I grabbed his hand and did something really stupid in retrospect. I bit his hand. He yelped, pulling away. I leapt to my feet, punching the approaching fourth guard. Another twang of an arrow and the second guard was down.

"Jane!"

I heard Cliff's cry second before the fifth guard grabbed me, holding me in a choke hold. I gasped for air, looking around slowly. This wasn't turning out as planned, but then again I didn't really have a plan to beginning with. I saw Ashley, completely out of arrows. Cliff looked concerned but as usual didn't have much to do. I felt trapped, stuck and defeated. Great. Going down in Sky Army history as this.

"Excuse me, am I interrupting?"

I knew the voice instantly. The guard did not. He turned around, clueless. Jerome then proceeded to punch him in the face. The man stumbled lightly, released me, and collapsed. I stumbled for balance, and Jerome quickly grabbed onto me, providing balance. He offered a sharp toothed smile. The remaining guards looked up at him. He snarled at them.

"Do you know who I am?"

They shook their heads.

"I…am…Hacksource."

That seemed to click in the guards' heads. They took off running, except the second and third guard who were holding onto their wounds. Jerome smirked once more. He pulled me in close, which would've been an almost kissing range if I didn't know Jerome as well as I did. He hummed lightly.

"Missed me this much? You didn't have to come all this way to see me!" he smirked.

"Oh, shut up," I grumbled, pulling away from him.

"Jane!" cheered Ashley, running over.

"Civilian, you should retrieve the arrows," Cliff offered.

"The name is Ashley!"

"So you're Jane's fabulous friend, Ashley!" hummed Jerome, stepping beside Ashley.

"Yes…" mumbled Ashley, looking between me and Jerome.

"Where's Mitch?" I asked, stepping between Ashley and Jerome.

"I can survive without Mitch! I don't always have him around me!" gasped Jerome, looking quite insulted.

I would've felt sorry for saying that to him if Mitch hadn't stepped out from behind the trees at that moment. The checkered jacket man stepped up behind him, leaning one arm on my shoulder. Jerome smirked, looking away from me. Mitch patted me on the head.

"I said I don't always have him around me. I never said he wasn't around now…" Jerome mumbled.

"You are a child," I sighed.

"You got any supplies?" Mitch asked.

"Ashley has a bow," I offered. "Otherwise, we just got here."

"Any arrows?" Mitch nodded.

"If I pluck them from these guys, I will have…three, no wait. Two," Ashley replied, yanking the arrow out of the collapsed guard's arm.

"Let me help!" cheered Jerome, kicking the sobbing third guard in the head.

The third guard shut up. The second guard hissed, snarling as Jerome moved up to him. Jerome kneeled at his side, whispering something in his ear before slamming the guard's head into the ground, knocking him unconscious. Ashley pulled the arrow out of the third guard first, stepping up behind Jerome. He pulled the arrow out for her, giving it to her.

"Nights going to come soon," announced Mitch, staring up at the sky.

"But…we haven't found anyone else!" Cliff gasped.

"We don't have time! Night is dangerous here. Sometimes more dangerous than the day," Mitch explained.

"There's a house nearby," I offered.

"Too obvious," shrugged Jerome. "We need to find something less obvious like a cave system or a hole in the ground."

"Or spawn," nodded Mitch. "But the chests will restock soon, right?"

"I don't know. The rules of this game have changed," sighed Jerome.

"That's why we need to get all of you out of here!" I shouted.

"You don't just get out of here!" howled Jerome.

It was the first time I heard Jerome shout or express anger. He didn't look angry though. He looked frightened. He quickly turned to Mitch. The man sighed, motioning off. Jerome stepped away from me, standing beside Mitch. They discussed something in whispers.

"Do you guys know where to go?" Cliff whispered.

"Follow me," hummed Mitch, leading the way.

"What just happened?" Ashley mumbled, coming up beside me.

"I don't know…but it just occurred to me," I sighed.

"What?"

"I don't know much about Jerome and Mitch. I've known them for a year and I still don't know how they met or how they got to the Sky Army."

"Really?" perked Ashley.

"It's their past that's coming back so I think it's time to start asking."


	18. Whispers in the Night

We followed Mitch until the fake sun was near setting. We found a beautiful little shack, one story tall and falling to pieces. It had no windows and only one door. We all filed in just as darkness began to sprawl over the landscape. Jerome shut the door, leaning up against it. Mitch lit a torch which illuminated us faintly. I looked around, sighing.

"I feel like I screwed up," I mumbled.

"You probably did," smirked Jerome.

"You don't have room to talk," Cliff snapped.

"Seto's apprentice got some fight in here," perked Mitch.

"You think I got this job for my looks?" winked Cliff.

"Why do you think you screwed up?" sighed Jerome.

"I thought I knew what I was doing," I replied. "I thought I knew you two."

"You do know us!" cheered Mitch.

"Do I, Mitch? Do I know anything about you? Do I know where you come from? Why this guy hates you so much? Why he's willing to kill the Army officers as payback to you two? What is going on, guys!?" I started out mumbling but broke into a full scream by the end.

Silence fell and no one seemed willing to respond. Mitch and Jerome exchanged glances but turned away eventually. They didn't talk to me. Cliff and Ashley turned away from them. Ashley even crossed her arms, sitting beside him. Cliff sighed, sitting down herself. She shut her eyes, starting what appeared to be a meditation position. Silence lasted for hours it seemed. No conversation. Only the sound of grumbling stomachs echoed.

"I'm gonna look for some cake," yawned Mitch, stepping up to Jerome. "We all could use the food."

"It's late," replied Jerome.

"It's best to move now, rather than starve during a fight," nodded Mitch.

Jerome sighed, rolling his eyes, but got up and allowed Mitch to leave. He quickly took his place by the door again. Ashley leaned into me, watching Jerome carefully. He was looking tired and worn. His eyes seemed to close slowly as he grew tired.

"He's kind of cool, you know," whispered Ashley to me.

"You see him and Mitch fight together. They are unstoppable," I sighed.

"Have you fought them? I mean spared," she offered.

"Once or twice. I played a hunger games match one of twice with them," I shrugged.

"Ever win?"

"Not even close. Like I said, he and Mitch are unstoppable together," I nodded.

"Was it always like that, you think? Since the day they met?"

"Wasn't that simple," yawned Jerome.

"What do you mean?" perked Ashley.

"It's not like we were always together, mind you," mumbled Jerome, obviously partly in sleep. "There was a time when we were apart."

"Oh?" Ashley smirked.

"I owe Mitch my life."

Jerome then fell silent as he slowly shifted into sleep. His eyes closed and drifted into mumbles. Ashley nudged me slightly, motioning to him. I shook my head. I knew she was thinking about messing with him, but Jerome wasn't exactly the best person after he just woke up. He got feisty when he woke up.

There was a knock at the door. It woke Jerome up quickly. He leapt up, spinning around. The door opened slowly, and Jerome looked like he was about to kill whoever walked in. Luckily Mitch was smart enough to kick Jerome in the knee first. The bacca cringed, gripping his knee as Mitch slipped in. He shut the door, sitting Jerome back down by the door. The bacca snarled at him.

"You didn't have to kick me," snarled Jerome.

"You were going to kick me," snapped Mitch.

"Didn't mean you had to kick me," whimpered Jerome.

"Don't be a baby, biggums. It wasn't anything person," nodded Mitch. "Cake?"

Mitch pulled out a few slices of cake. Ashley lurched out, eating her slice instantly. I grabbed a bite, nibbling on it. I was overcome by hunger, eating quicker. Mitch smirked, watching me slightly while handing Jerome a slice. He offered to Cliff, but she was deep in meditation.

"Thanks, Mitch," hummed Ashley.

"No problem," nodded Mitch. "Jane?"

"Huh?" I perked.

"You said you didn't know us…I don't think that's fair," whispered Mitch. "I think it's about time someone knew about it…"

At that moment, Cliff let out a sudden scream, eyes opening abruptly. I never heard her scream like that. Suddenly, everyone was wide awake, lunging toward her aid. Her voice ran dry and she collapsed into Mitch's arms. She had passed out.


	19. Threats to the Sky

**Five years ago**

"The sun's going down…" mumbled Mitch, eyeing the sky.

"Yes…the sun has been known to do that," Jerome replied.

"Should we…I don't know, find shelter?" offered Mitch.

They'd been walking for a while, in and out of the destroyed housing district. They hadn't found much, mostly food to tide them over for a while and a wooden sword for Mitch. Among their findings were two diamonds. Mitch didn't know what to do with them, but Jerome was excited to find one more before the game was done.

"Where would you like crash for the night? That old building over there that's missing a roof or that little house over there that's missing a wall and a half?"

"Don't mock me…I've never done this before," grumbled Mitch.

"Really? You could've fooled me," chuckled Jerome.

"Hey, cut me some slack," snapped Mitch.

"You're the one who foolishly made a deal with the devil," hissed Jerome. "Usually, I make these matches quick and painless so as not to activate death match."

"Death match?"

"Really killing, not this fake holographic junk. Real death and I…I can't do that. I won't let Peterson come close to activating that function," Jerome explained.

"How did you get roped into this mess?"

"I was a poor bacca, my friend, as most were. Baccas are becoming a rare breed. I was child…an orphan without home or food. These guys offered it to me. As a kid, it sounded better than dying."

"But now?"

"Now…I feel like I signed my death wish back then. Look!"

Jerome pointed out a tall building. The walls were mostly intact and a few entrances were covered up. Mitch stepped up beside him, looking the building over but couldn't find what Jerome was so excited about. Jerome smirked, marching toward the building with great stride.

"Where are we going!?" gasped Mitch, struggling to keep up.

"To the building of course!" cried Jerome, picking up his march to a jog.

"Why?" pleaded Mitch, chasing after.

"That building leads down, through a tunnel, and all the way back to spawn," cheered Jerome.

"Why?"

"The chests will be refilled soon. We can get that last diamond there," Jerome nodded, leading the way into the building.

The building was dark, barely lit with the fading daylight. Mitch kept close to Jerome, hoping that the bacca knew where he was going. The shadows danced around in the dimming light. The shadows seemed so real, like they would reach out and stab you. Echoes of footsteps and voices rang out, making the shadows all that more real. Mitch picked up his pace, keeping even closer Jerome.

"Do you hear that…?" whispered Mitch, looking around hastily.

"This game plays tricks on you. The longer you play, the more you can pick out which sounds are real and which aren't," Jerome instructed. "Right down here."

There was a large hole in the ground, leading into what looked like dark abyss. Mitch shook his head, backing up. Jerome rolled his eyes, pulling Mitch back beside him. The hole seemed endless, void of light, void of life. Mitch felt lost and mesmerized but its endlessness.

"I'm not going down there!" shouted Mitch, struggling to get away from Jerome.

"You'll live," argued Jerome, pulling Mitch forward.

"Are you sure!?" gasped Mitch, continuing to struggle.

"Positive…Pretty sure," shrugged Jerome. "Let's see!"

With that Jerome gave Mitch a mighty shove, throwing Mitch into the hole. Mitch howled, freefalling. The wind rushed passed him, rustling his hair and moving his clothes until they almost wanted to rip right off him. He could hardly breath, hardly look around. Heart racing, pounding in his ears, picking up on the oddest noises. Then, suddenly, everything was engulfed in silence as water wrapped around him, rushing into his nose and open mouth.

Mitch gargled the water, sinking deeper into the pool. The water rushed over him, engulfing him until even his bones seemed to be wet and cold. Eyes barely open, the world seemed full of dim light. It seemed almost peaceful. Memories began to play faintly in his mind. He remembered his mother taking him to the lake and swimming. The water was so nice in the summer. Such a wonderful moment…such a wonderful

"Mitch!"

Mitch felt the yank on his collar as the water rushed passed him and air filled his lungs. He gasped, taking it in and coughing up the liquid in his lungs. The fuzzy bacca stood before him, weighted down with soggy fur. Mitch tried laugh but only coughed up more water. His clothes felt so heavy, wanting to drag him back under the water. Jerome helped him stand, and together the two moved swiftly to the tunnel system.

The two rested on the land, soaking wet and tired. Mitch ringed out his clothes, trying to get rid of the water. Jerome shook like a dog, splashing Mitch with a spray of water. He giggled a little, looking around.

"I thought I killed you," mumbled Jerome, pressing his fur back.

"What? Just because you threw me into a bottomless and I hit the water hard?" Mitch chuckled.

"I'm sorry," Jerome sighed.

"I'm alive right…we're all good," relaxed Mitch, lying back. "Do we keep moving?"

Something fell down the hole, splashing in the water. Jerome sat up, looking into the black shadowy depths. Mitch groaned, sitting up as well. The water rolled a little as the something rose up, coming close to them. It was an orb like object with a camera coming from it. It flew up to Jerome and Mitch, watching both of them carefully.

"What the?" mumbled Mitch, turning to Jerome.

"A spectator camera," nodded Jerome. "They film us for home viewers and those in the stadium. Most of the time the film in unedited."

"Does Peterson watch these feeds?" Mitch questioned.

"Yes."

"I'd like to put my deal on film then," smirked Mitch. "Peterson! You do remember our deal, don't you?"

"Mitch, why don't you remind him," nodded Jerome.

"You promised me that if I win, you would release Jerome and me!" Mitch shouted, picking up a rock.

_And if you lose?_

It was slightly shocking to hear Peterson's voice come from the camera orb. It moved swiftly around them, zooming in and hovering closer. Mitch stepped forward, smirking. He tossed the rock in his hand. He nodded lightly to the camera. Jerome waited patiently.

"If I lose, as you recall…I belong to you."

Mitch threw the rock with great force, cracking the lens and sending the orb reeling. It spun around, landing in the water. The water bubbled and sizzled until at last silence. Jerome turned slowly to Mitch, who smirked proudly and headed down the tunnel, shoes squeaking and slipping on the tunnel. Jerome sighed, looking around. He eventually shook his head and turned to follow Mitch.


	20. After My Own Heart

The tunnel leading to spawn was a dark one, barely lit. Mitch couldn't even see his hand in front of his eyes. He could hardly see Jerome leading the way. He trusted moving forward would eventually lead him to the spawn. It felt like ages ago since he was at spawn. The tunnel was cold and damp, echoing each footstep they made. Mitch could even hear his breath. The shadows seemed to be reaching out toward him, pulling at his clothes. His throat felt like it was closing. Heart pounding. Footsteps echoing. What was…what was happening?

Jerome suddenly stopped, reaching an arm out and stopping Mitch. He felt a sudden rush of relief until he watched Jerome's darkened figure looking around. He heard something. Mitch looked around himself, trying to hear or see what Jerome was freaking out about. Echoes. Heavy breathing echoed through tunnel walls. Jerome pulled out his weapon, a shimmering iron sword. Mitch dug into his holster, pulling out his wooden sword and holding it up. Jerome motioned him to be silent.

"Who…who's there?" mumbled Mitch.

"Enemy…" Jerome glanced about. "Behind!"

Jerome spun around, shoving Mitch behind him. The bacca slashed his blade, nicking the shadows. The shadows leapt, moving around the darkness. Mitch tightened his grip on the blade. He wasn't helpless. Jerome slashed again but the shadows were too fast. They slashed him. The suit tore ever so slightly along the sleeve, revealing his fuzzy body. Mitch watched the shadows dance around Jerome. Was there only one enemy?

"Run to spawn, Mitch! Run!" shouted Jerome.

"I won't leave you. We're a team remember," snarled Mitch.

His hands were so tight on the wooden handle that his skin turned pale and he could feel the splinters digging their way into his skin. He had to act. The shadows danced around Jerome, Mitch could see it clearly. Blade ready, watching the shadows move, Mitch lunged, stabbing the tip of his blade into the shadows. They yelped, howling as they pulled away. Mitch stumbled back, away from the shadows.

"Mitch. I'll light a torch…" mumbled Jerome from somewhere in the shadows.

A light sparked, lighting up Mitch and Jerome, separating them from the shadows. Mitch looked around, taking in breathes heavily. He was practically panting, trying to take in his world. His eyes were wide, watching the shadows dance with the torch light. Mitch glanced to Jerome. He only had a few cuts in his clothes but no blood from what he could tell. A few patches of fur were shortened but nothing serious.

"Did I get him?" smirked Mitch, twirling his blade.

Jerome reached the torch out into the shadows, searching for the figure that had attacked them. Jerome nodded. No one around. Mitch did a little cheer, smiling. His first strike in the Hunger Games. He was getting stronger, braver. He could do anything now. He turned around, helping Jerome to his feet. The two stood, grinning,

"Nice swing, biggums," smirked Jerome.

"Like baseball," shrugged Mitch.

"If we're lucky, he was the only one following us," nodded Jerome, leading the way again. "We're almost to spawn."

With a light now, the tunnel seemed less scary, less haunting. Mitch still felt something was wrong. Something he hadn't considered. What was it? The echoes of footsteps and breathing and such. Mitch stopped, glancing back. Jerome soon stopped, looking back at Mitch.

"Something wrong?" Jerome perked.

"Something doesn't feel right," whispered Mitch. He turned around to face Jerome, shrugging. "Must be my imagination."

Jerome's eyes widened as the shadows threw a blade threw Mitch's side. Mitch let out a yell, feel the pain surge through him. Blood dripped form his side, splattering on the cold ground. Jerome lunged forward, slashing at the shadows with no mercy. The shadows yelped, vanishing in a flash of blue light. Mitch groaned, collapsing to the ground. He wasn't considered dead, otherwise they would've teleported him out. Or was Peterson just getting his revenge.

"Mitch…Mitch!" gasped Jerome, kneeling beside Mitch.

"I don't want to check…is it that bad?" panted Mitch, hovering his hand just above the wound.

Jerome leaned over and checked. All he could see was ripped fabric, torn skin, and red soaking through both. Jerome shook his head but Mitch couldn't see it. Jerome grabbed Mitch by the shoulders, lifting him up. Mitch didn't question, just stumbled to keep up with Jerome's steps.

"That…bad, huh?" groaned Mitch, shutting his eyes.

"At spawn…there's a golden apple. Those things…work wonders. They can heal anything!" declared Jerome.

"I'm not that…good at this…am I?" mumbled Mitch.

"You're doing fine. Nobody wins the first time," Jerome nodded.

"Not even you?"

"Not even me."

"You got good then," chuckled Mitch. It hurt to laugh. "I failed, Jerome. I should've…"

"You found him. We could've walked right into spawn with him trailing us. He would've hit us while we were distracted by the chests. He would've made sure at least one of us was dead," Jerome explained.

"Now I'm only kind of dead," whispered Mitch.

"You're not dead. We're a team remember. We're a team until we've defeated Peterson, right?"

"And after that?"

"After that, we'll be friends."

"I think I'd like that better than this," smirked Mitch.

"Me too," smirked Jerome.


	21. Peterson

**Now**

Mitch held onto Cliff, checking her pulse and breathing. She was alive, that was for sure. She seemed to have fainted, Jerome mumbled nearly inaudible. Her little cat ears were flopped over, hair draped over Mitch's knee. It was almost the image of two lovers, if I hadn't known Mitch and Cliff at all. Ashley looked around, frightened. Why had she fainted?

"She's alive. Hopefully she'll wake up soon and tell us what that was about," sighed Mitch.

"This is crazy…why did I join this party again?" mumbled Ashley, pulling her knees to her chest.

"You wanted to be a part of the army," I reminded.

"Right…I'll get to meet Sky, right?" grumbled Ashley, glaring at me.

"Yes."

"I won't die, right?"

"I can't promise that in the slightest."

Ashley's eyes widened as she turned away from me. Jerome chuckled, rolling his eyes. I chuckled myself. Jerome reached out, holding up his fist. I completed the fist bump. We chuckled some more. Ashley snarled at us, shoving me. Then she started to laugh.

"Glad you three are enjoying yourself," Mitch sighed, rolling his eyes.

"What would we do otherwise?" I suggested.

"We could talk about you two?" Ashley purred. "About you two and Peterson?"

Mitch rolled his eyes, glancing at Jerome. The bacca shrugged. Mitch smirked, rolling his eyes again and turning to look at us.

"Peterson owned me," Jerome cut in before Mitch could speak.

"Owned you?" perked Ashley.

"You two are city people. You don't know much about hybrids," chuckled Jerome, rolling his eyes.

"Hybrids don't have many rights," Mitch offered.

"Or any rights," Jerome added.

"Some rights," argued Mitch.

"No rights," mouthed Jerome.

"I remember hearing my parents talking about that," I nodded.

"Recently, a fight has been going on for hybrid rights," Mitch explained. "But most hybrids are still without rights."

"None?" Ashley mumbled.

"They can own a house," Mitch offered.

"We can't have jobs," yawned Jerome. "Or internships. Or go to school. Or own a car. Or…"

"Jerome!" shouted Mitch. He sighed, turning back to us. "This is why most hybrids live in the woods."

"Outside of the army, have you ever seen a hybrid?" Jerome added.

I shook my head.

"I was alone. No family. No food. No shelter. I was ready to die when Peterson came down from his…perch to offer me what I didn't have. Unlike humans back when I was kid, that would kill any bacca they saw, Peterson was the closest thing I had to family."

"This was after we ran into each other one day. I fed him half my lunch," Mitch chuckled. "He snuck out my window."

"When we met the second time, I was running from Peterson because I knew there had to be a better life out there. Mitch again fed me, offered me shelter and clothes. Peterson took me back…by force."

"I gave up my life to rescue him," Mitch finished.

"Then what happened?" perked Ashley, deeply involved in the story.

"We beat him," smirked Mitch.

"He didn't like it," chuckled Jerome.

"How did you beat him?" I whispered.

Cliff began to stir on Mitch's lap. We all were silenced, waiting for her eyes to flutter open. She groaned, looking around. First she perked at the sight of Mitch directly above her. She sprang up, leaving the safety of his lap and looked around further. Mitch and Cliff blushed, turning away from each other.

"Are you alright, Cliff?" I asked.

"What…what happened?" she pleaded.

"You passed out," nodded Mitch.

"I…I passed out?" whimpered Cliff.

"You screamed and passed out," added Ashley.

"Screamed," repeated Cliff in a hushed whispered. "A vision…"

"Vision?" perked Jerome. "Like the ones Seto gets? Like future stuff or seeing other people right now stuff?"

"I don't…I'm not sure what I saw. It was quick…blurred. Everything moved so quickly," panted Cliff, holding her head. "I need…I need to think. Seto will be able to help me make sense of it."

"We should all rest," yawned Mitch, stretching. He scooted over toward Jerome, helping him block the door. "Let's rest. Tomorrow is another day…and it will come quick."

Mitch and Jerome remained leaned against the door, snoozing. Ashley and Cliff were huddled up against either side of me. We were warm and comfy. I couldn't sleep right away. Too many thoughts. Too many ideas. Everything was racing. Then everything slowed as my eyes settled on the two across from me. Mitch and Jerome. Who knew these two happy guys could've gone through such hardship. What else was I missing about the others? My eyes grew heavy as I thought. Eventually, I slept.


	22. Bounty

The morning came just as Mitch said, quick. Suddenly there were sounds of birds chirping and a wonderful breeze brushing the trees. Then, a loud cannon pop. We all awoke quickly, looking around and rushing outside. The sky was a bright blue, the grass was green and there was no sign of the noise.

"It was announcement fire," yawned Jerome. "Almost forgot about it…"

"Announcement?" mumbled Ashley.

"The cannon thing has something to do with where the name 'Hunger Games' comes from," shrugged Mitch. "They show who's dead."

Images appeared in the sky. Young adult and teen faces flashed across along with their names and who killed them. We waited anxiously, hoping not to see anyone we knew. Each time the image change I felt my heart sink. Was is going to be Sky…Husky…Ryan? I couldn't help but worry.

"None of them are gone," sighed Cliff, smiling.

An image of Peterson appeared where the faces were. This time it was a video feed. He grinned at the onlookers, overlooking the world. I frowned. He probably thought he was a god or something, that evil freak. He opened his mouth, preparing to speak but the sound was off by a few seconds.

_"Greetings contestants. Day one is done. How wonderful! I have even better news though."_

An image of Ashley, Cliff and I sneaking in showed up beside Peterson. He glanced at it as if it was really beside him. He smiled, nodding. The image faded as he turned back to the world. Jerome and Mitch glanced back at us. Peterson began speaking again, still a few seconds off.

_"These three wanted to play our game. I decided to…let them. They have quite the bounty though, care to hear?"_

"A bounty!?" perked Mitch.

"Not a bounty…no, no, no!" gasped Jerome.

"What's a bounty?" gaped Ashley, looking between Peterson and Jerome.

"It's a form of money. It can be worth a lot at the end of the game," Jerome mumbled.

"If you kill someone with a bounty on their head, you gain that money at the end of the game," whispered Mitch.

_"A bounty of five thousand credits per person."_

"That's a long of money," whimpered Cliff.

"What happens if we live?" I couldn't help but ask.

"You collect the bounty," smirked Mitch.

_"End of announcements. Date and rest of bounty list will be posted."_

A list of names began scrolling down the side beside the date. Ashley perked, pointing to the top bounty. I shook my head, baffled. It was Jerome or Mitch or even us, like I had expected. It was Sky. He had a bounty of nearly a million credits on his head. Below him was the rest of us.

"We should get moving. No point standing around," sighed Jerome, leading the way.

"Where to?" smirked Ashley, chasing after.

"Anywhere but standing still, right Jerome?" chuckled Mitch.

"Right," Jerome grumbled, rolling his eyes.

We walked for a moment, reaching a small town or something. It was quiet the entire time we walked, making me grow increasingly uncomfortable. Eventually, the silence and the grumbling of my stomach proved too much and I groaned loudly just so some kind of noise would echo of the trees. Silence sunk in again until Mitch groaned too. Then Jerome. Then Ashley. We all turned to Cliff, waiting for her to join our little groaning fun. She glared at me with cat eyes. It made me laugh so hard.

"C'mon Cliff, we're only having a little fun," I chuckled.

"Fine," smirked Cliff.

She groaned loudly, louder than any of us had. Mitch and Jerome started laughing. Ashley groaned again, louder still. That was when Cliff and Ashley got into a groaning match. Jerome and Mitch just busted into laughter, uncontrollable uncensored laughter. I laughed a little myself but covered my mouth a little to try and control myself.

Something made a twanged and arrow landed at our feet. Jerome and Mitch reacted quickly, weapons out and eyes keeping an eye out for who attacked them. Ashley reached for her bow and arrow, but Mitch snagged it from her. He launched the arrow into the air. It landed, followed by a wail.

"One less arrow," sighed Mitch, glancing at Ashley. "Here."

Ashley took the arrow back. The young man came racing over the hill, arrow lodged in his shoulder. Heart racing. Head pounding. Jerome took my hand, tugging me out of the way of his approach. The young man seemed mad, crazy. He collapsed between the others and us. My heart was pounding with fear. Suddenly, the smell of smoke. The faintest sound of hissing. What…what was that?

Do you hear that?" I mumbled.

Jerome perked, looking around. Mitch turned back to Jerome. Ashley and Cliff were at his side. Between us and them was a young man holding a small red box marked TNT. Time seemed to slow down as the box began to glow. The young man holding onto it looked desperate as he slowly closed his eyes, grinning evilly. Jerome looked at Mitch, shaking his head.

"Move!" shouted Mitch, taking Cliff and Ashley by the hand.

Jerome took me up in his arms, leaping into the woods. The explosion was more destructive than I thought. The boy must've had more than one of him. The explosion just seemed to keep going. Jerome kept running. His hand was tight around mine, getting tighter the further we got away from the explosion, from Mitch and others.

"Jerome!" I gasped, trying to get his attention. "Jerome…please…stop…"

"Where…where to go…" whispered Jerome.

"Jerome…please stop…" I pleaded.

We kept running. He wasn't about to stop. I could practically hear his heart racing. He was frightened. In my time at the sky army, I hadn't seen him frightened. I finally felt unsafe. Nothing was going right.


	23. Running of the Sky Army

We slowed down eventually. Jerome grew out of breath, and we began to walk. We were in open fields now. Forests stretched to our right and left. We moved in silence. I didn't know what to say to him. I'd never seen him without Mitch. Since the day I met him, he always seemed to be with Mitch. Those two were closer than brothers, connected across everything. They were goofballs.

"Jane…" whispered Jerome after some time.

"Yes, Jerome?" I replied.

"I like having you here…I mean," Jerome mumbled. "It's fun having you in the Army…and everything. I mean…"

"Your my friend too, Jerome," I smirked.

Jerome mumbled something under his breath, looking around a little bit. It was sure a nice day out. Maybe it didn't rain in the Hunger Games. I couldn't remember the last time I just walked through an open fields like this. We were approaching a large forested area. It would be wonderfully shady in there. Jerome stopped, stopping me as well.

"What?" I perked.

"Do you hear that?" nodded Jerome.

A loud rumbling seemed to echo, coming from the forest in front of us. I focused, trying to find out what the sound was. After a moment, it sounded like shouts and footsteps. Jerome and I exchanged looks. At that moment, the trees rustled and shook. Jerome pulled me back behind him, readying his weapon. The trees stopped moving and out ran Sky from the forest. His teeth was clenched and his steps even enough to get him out of the woods at breathtaking speed. He leapt over us, cheering a "hi!" and continued running.

"Sky!" Jerome and I shouted, turning around to watch him run off.

"Hey, guys! I'd stop and chat but we really should keep moving," Sky replied.

Jerome and I turned back to the forest just as about fifteen some odd warriors came charging out. Jerome and I screamed together, running after Sky. It was like the running of crazy people. I could hear their screams and cursing, swords swinging in the air, and footsteps stomping on the ground. We soon caught up with Sky, who was panting and coughing.

"Hey…buddy…." Jerome panted.

"What's…up…" coughed Sky. "Hey…Jane…"

"What is going on?" I pleaded.

"Apparently…owning a legendary army…makes some enemies…" smirked Sky.

"Wait…I know this map…" whispered Jerome.

He suddenly stopped dead, looking around. Sky and I stumbled a moment, spinning around and rushing back to Jerome's side. We tugged at him but the bacca refused to move. He was staring off somewhere to the left of us. I could see the people coming. I could see the shimmering light reflecting off their swords. Their grinning teeth. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't…move.

"I know this map! This way!" shouted Jerome, grabbing me and running.

"Wait up!" gasped Sky, chasing after us.

We rushed through the side forest. The tree branches grabbed out at us, tearing at my hair and clothes. I could feel my sleeves rip, my hair tug, and my knees bleed. I could hear Sky panting behind me. Jerome's hand tightened around mine. Shadows covered us. The sun seemed to have vanished. Nothing by sharp sticks and crunching leaves.

"Jerome…where are we going…" I pleaded.

Suddenly, he let go. I stumbled to keep up to him but fell back into Sky. He caught me, looking around for Jerome. The trees opened up into a fog covered graveyard. Dead trees and shadowed graves scattered the area. Sky's grip around my shoulders tightened.

"A graveyard…out here?" he mumbled.

"Jerome!" I called, trying to be quiet at the same time.

We could hear the footsteps of them coming. I glanced back at Sky. We trudged down the graveyard, looking around for Jerome. The footsteps were getting louder. Shouts and calls. Wails of pain. The warriors were turning against themselves, but they were still coming. Sky and I stopped by an interesting looking grave, looking around once more in search of Jerome.

"Jerome!" groaned Sky.

I howled as something grabbed my ankle and tugged. Sky grabbed onto me, falling down with me. We fell farther than just to the ground, falling into a hole. I landed first and Sky landed onto me. I groaned, rolling over. Sky patted my head as an apology. I looked up. Jerome smirked down at me.

"Sorry…" he shrugged.

"Where are we?" Sky hummed, looking around.

"A secret location. It used to be you could get a secret weapon here, but we don't have the two items to unlock it," Jerome explained.

"How did you know about this place?" I mumbled.

"I used to be a part of the hunger Games for a long while. This map was one of my favorites," smirked Jerome. He stopped, becoming serious. "But…this was the map that Mitch and I stopped Peterson."

"So…Peterson's getting back, eh?" Sky sighed.

"Sky…I'm sorry we drew you guys into this…It wasn't our intention. I mean, Mitch and I, we…" Jerome sputtered

"I never asked. Didn't need to. I trust you and Mitch. You both are strong warriors. You trusted me in return," nodded Sky. "I never needed to know."

"I'm sorry this happened. Thanks for the support, though," chuckled Jerome.

"Glad we're having a moment," I groaned, rolling back onto my back.

"Sorry, you got rolled into this Jane," they both perked.

"I'm joking!" I cheered, smiling. "You two are hilarious."

Sky laughed. I couldn't tell, but it seemed like Jerome blushed a little.


	24. Promise

**Five years ago**

Mitch's eye's opened slowly. The first thing he saw was the glittering sunlight beaming down on him. From the corner of his eyes, he could make out chests and a crafting bench. He groaned, moving his head slightly. Something touched his arm. Suddenly Jerome came into view, smirking with his sharp teeth. He patted Mitch's cheek, making sure he was awake. Mitch smiled lightly, nodding.

"We made it…" groaned Mitch, sitting up slightly.

He felt a sharp pain in his side, forcing him to lie back down. He shut his eyes, trying to control the pain. The rushing sting eased away, fading. Mitch sighed, opening his eyes slowly. Jerome nodded, sitting beside Mitch.

"Golden Apples only work so much," Jerome shrugged.

"Golden apples…" mumbled Mitch, looking around.

"You don't remember? You took a bite and passed out…" Jerome instructed.

"I don't…I remember getting stabbed," stuttered Mitch. "I guess we got some good stuff, right?"

"Yep. I've got a surprise for you when you're up for it."

There was silence a moment.

"Mitch…"

"Yeah, biggums?"

"Deathmatch is coming."

Mitch sat up slowly. Jerome was looking up toward the sunlight but still looked disconnected from the world. Mitch looked around. Everything was peaceful. It was a wonderful…midday? How long had he been out?

"Is it noon?" gasped Mitch.

"Yes."

"I was out that long!?"

"You missed the announcements," sighed Jerome, shaking his head. "The games almost over."

"Deathmatch is coming…" repeated Mitch. "What is deathmatch?"

"The final battle…if the timer runs out. The battle is real…the death…is real," whispered Jerome. "We can't let deathmatch happen."

"We won't let it happen, Jerome. We'll win," nodded Mitch, lying back down.

"Right…We won't get there," mumbled Jerome. "Mitch?"

"Yeah, Jerome?" smirked Mitch.

"I won't let you get sucked into Peterson's game…"

Mitch sat up again. Jerome looked angry. He was glaring at the ground, fist clenched. He glanced at Mitch.

"What do you mean?" questioned Mitch.

"Peterson isn't going to let either of us go without a fight…this game, this Hunger Game match is nothing more than an opening act. Peterson will put on a show…he won't rest until either we're dead or he is!"

Mitch shook his head. He'd never seen Jerome like this. Doubt flooded over. He didn't know this man…man? Was he even that? Mitch shook his head. That was his dad talking. Mitch knew Jerome was more than a man…more of a man than Mitch was anyhow.

"We will beat Peterson…no matter what, no matter how long it takes!" assured Mitch. "This may only be a chapter in our fight against him but the end will be in our favor, I assure you Jerome. We met all those years ago and again now. That means something…"

"What would we do…?" snapped Jerome. "What can I do out there? As me…"

"There must be something we can do…" nodded Mitch. "I don't have much to go back to anyway."

"We could just run…" whispered Jerome.

"Run…until someone cares enough to find us?"

Jerome smiled lightly. "Who would even care about us?"

Mitch sighed, turning away. They weren't much. A hybrid and a broke axe man. Who would give them the time of day?

"I'm sure someday…we'll find someone who cares. And then…maybe, we might find someone who likes both of us, not as a team. Just as Jerome and Mitch."

"Hacksource and BajanCandian."

"Someday…the sky's the limit!"

The two broke into laughter. What wonder lied in dreaming. What wonder lied in dreaming of the future, when sky's the limit.


	25. To Spawn or Bust

**Now**

I woke up suddenly, taking in the stale air. My body ached, and my mind was racing. How long had I been sleeping? I sat up abruptly, trying to remember how I got to this point. I felt a hand on my shoulder, forcing a jolt of shock through my body. Jerome smirked, laughing lightly as he pulled his arm off me. He shrugged, getting to his feet. My breath began to ease, my mind calming.

"How long..." I brushed some hair from my eyes. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Not long. An hour or so," shrugged Jerome.

"Sky?"

"He just went to take a peek upstairs."

Jerome got to his feet, stepping up toward the ladder leading to the surface. The little room wasn't much but it had that soothing sound of running water. It wasn't enough to make you have to pee or anything but it was…soothing. Jerome looked up toward the surface and I could see the glittering in his eyes. I watched him move around and all I could think of…was how could anyone think he was a beast? How could anyone not be mesmerized by him? He wasn't quite human, wasn't quite animal, but somewhere happily in between. It was something amazing.

"What? Do I got something on my face?"

I snapped out of thought. Jerome was looking quizzically at me. I blushed, turning away. How could I think like that? About Jerome of all people. People…I opened my mouth to speak but then the hatch opened and Sky came down, nearly knocking Jerome over. I got to my feet at the first sight of Sky's grin. Jerome smiled too. It was time to go.

"All clear?" smirked Jerome.

"Not a soul around," Sky assured.

"Where to?" I mumbled.

"Spawn," ordered Jerome. "Mitch will go there too. The chests will be refilling soon if they haven't already."

"Know your way to spawn?" Sky nodded.

"Yes, now that I recognize the map, I know my way around," Jerome grinned.

Jerome climbed up the ladder first, then Sky, and me last. The foggy graveyard was no less creepy. They helped me up, looking around for any of the straggling competitors still hunting for the head of the Sky Army. Silence rested upon the cemetery. We paused a moment to take in the air and look around, until finally moving along.

We were at the edge of the yard when an arrow flew by, forcing itself into a tree trunk. Sky and Jerome reacted, pulling out weapons. Jerome held an iron blade, shimmering in the sunlight. Sky held a wooden one, cracked and broken. Jerome glanced at Sky. Sky raised an eyebrow in return.

"What?" Sky snapped.

"I didn't say anything," Jerome replied.

"I'm not good at this game, okay!" howled Sky.

"I never said anything," shrugged Jerome.

"There!" I shouted.

Another arrow, this time cutting my ear as it flew through the air. I barely reacted, just kneeled. Jerome slashed his blade, cutting the third arrow before it pieces his heart. Sky looked around, stepping back. I stood up slowly. I could see him. It was a man hiding in a tree, shooting down at us like prey. I glared at him, watching him reload.

"Look out!" I shouted, ducking back down.

Jerome slashed his arrow, this time missing. The arrow cut threw his shoulder, going straight threw. Jerome yelped, cringing, and bending over in pain. Sky stepped in front of him, swinging his blade at the quick flying next arrow. His sword shattered in his hand. Jerome stood up slightly, one eye shut in pain.

"We could use a little help," whispered Jerome.

We were expecting another arrow. It never came. Instead the arrows fell from the tree, followed by the bow. We were almost expecting the man to fall as well, dead by the hands of another competitor. The man never fell. Instead he was gently set down by a shadowy figure. Sky looked around hastily, eventually just holding up his fists. The shadowy figure stepped forward, just barely in the shadows of the tree.

"Tell me you're startled, Adam. I dare you," the figure chuckled.

"Jason!" cheered Sky, running to greet the spaceman.

I didn't know Jason well. He had this suit on though that resembled a spaceman to say the least. He even wore a helmet almost always. He came of the shadows, lifting Sky in a hug. His helmet's screen was cracked, revealing a hint of a grin on his lip. Blood was dripping down the side of his face. Sky patted Jason's back, stepping back.

"Could've helped us out before Jerome got shot?" Sky hummed.

"You're lucky I got here at all," snapped Jason. I felt a rolling of the eyes was probably involved too. "Where were you three headed, even?"

"Spawn," groaned Jerome, standing up and stumbling over.

"Spawn? Seriously?" Jason mumbled.

"Mitch will be there," Sky nodded.

"With Cliff and Ashley…" I added.

"Ashley?" perked Sky, turning to me.

"Long story," I whispered.

"It better be a good one," growled Sky. He turned back to Jason. "Want to come with us?"

"Well…I'll have to check my schedule but I think I can manage it," chuckled Jason.


	26. In the End

It was quite a long trek to spawn, but otherwise uneventful. We traveled mostly in silence, except for the occasional joke brought up by Jason or Sky to ease the tension. Jerome remained silent, marching ahead. I tried to talk to him in the beginning, but eventually…It just wasn't worth it. Without Mitch, Jerome just wasn't his fun self. He was actually very withdrawn and sullen. Even Sky stopped making jokes after a while.

We reached spawn eventually, climbing over a hill. Seeing all the chests and podiums circled around them, my heart began to beat faster. It was strange seeing it. It felt like this whole mess just started. How long had we really been down here? Jerome stepped onto the podium, looking out over the circle. It must've brought up horrible memories. He sighed, shaking his head. He perked suddenly, gripping his blade and snarling.

"Movement!" he shouted.

Sky and Jason reacted, pulling out their blades. I could hear the rustling of the trees overhead, the sound of what almost screams, the beating of my heart echoing in my ears. Another competitor? A friend? I didn't have a weapon. I was completely helpless. Jason stood in front me, offering some protection.

"Who's there!" shouted Sky.

"Really, man?" Jason groaned.

"Yes, you got a problem with that?" grumbled Sky, glancing at Jason.

The shadows parted, and two figured emerged, both wielding weapons that sparkled in the sunlight. Jerome reached back, motioning me behind him. The shadows released the figures. I smirked lightly.

"Fish?" perked Jerome, lowering his weapon.

"I'm not a fish!" shouted Husky.

"You're not?" mumbled Ryan, putting his hands behind his head.

"Shut up batman!" ordered Husky, glaring at Ryan.

"Whatever you say…fish," smirked Ryan.

"What are you doing here?" mumbled Jerome.

"I've played a few simulation of Hunger Games myself, Bacca," nodded Husky, swinging his blade around.

"Now all we need is Ty, Seto and Mitch!" cheered Ryan.

"And Ashley and Cliff," I added.

"Right," whispered Husky.

"Speaking of us?"

We spun around and Mitch stood with Deadlox and Seto to either side of him. Cliff was standing close behind Seto. Ashley came barreling from behind Mitch, gripping me in a tight hug. She was mumbling something about thinking I was dead. Jerome and Mitch moved together, sharing a secret handshake. Deadlox and Sky came together, whispering something. We were all together again. No one was hurt. No one was dead. We all survived. Amazing!

"I'm glad you're okay," whispered Ashley, pulling out of the hug.

"All together," Cliff nodded.

"What are we supposed to do?" Ryan offered. "I mean, we can't kill to win this game."

"Right, is there anyone left?" Jerome sighed.

A load bang went off. Jerome and Mitch perked, reacting quickly. We looked up at the sky as it changed into a dark, almost twilight color. No clouds. No wind. All was still. We had somehow formed a circle. Jerome and Mitch stood in the center of the circle, looking to the sky. I felt a surge of energy at that moment. All of us, in a circle, connected for that moment in time and space.

"Mitch…Jerome…" mumbled Ty.

"What was that?" finished Sky.

"The final canon," whispered Jerome.

"Translation?" asked Quinton.

"It means that the final match has started. It means a one on one battle," Mitch explained. "But there are more than one on one. There's all of us…"

"We don't have to fight do we!?" gasped Ashley.

"No…we don't have to," Jerome snarled. "You never have to do anything for him."

"Unless we all count as one," offered Ryan.

"Then who would be the opponent?" hummed Ty.

"Me."

We all turned. Jerome and Mitch snarled, tightening their grip on their weapons as Peterson himself strolled onto the center field. He was wearing full diamond arm, holding onto an iron blade stained with red. He grinned, looking up over.

"You cheat!" howled Jerome.

"I never said I wasn't in the game," Peterson replied.

"You think you can take all of us on," hissed Mitch.

"Think you can take me on?" smirked Peterson. "I'm dressed in the highest level armor. I have one of the strongest blades. You lot are reduced to wooden or stone swords, not a slip of armor on your body!"

"We won't let you win!" screamed Jerome. "I'm going to stop you!"

"You made that threat years ago, my friend," Peterson nodded. "Now is the time to redeem it. Either you lot die or I will. I cannot go back to her empty handed."

"Her?" I perked.

"So let's fight!" cheered Peterson.


	27. Sacrifice

**Five years ago**

Mitch looked up at the sky, watching the names of all the fallen warriors scroll by. All those people were taken for the game. Luckily the deaths weren't real. He was feeling better, though his side still ached. The sky was turning into dusk. Perhaps the game was almost over. Mitch turned back around, spotting Jerome sitting on one of the chests. He was looking out over the center map.

"Hey, Jerome, do you think it's almost over?" hummed Mitch.

"Yes. Deathmatch is coming," whispered Jerome.

"What's the matter?" perked Mitch, spinning around. "We're going to win! We've beat Peterson!"

"Not yet. He knows it," nodded Jerome.

"Knows what?" Jerome…what's going on?" mumbled Mitch, stepping over.

A loud bang went off. The sky turned into twilight. Mitch could hear Peterson's monstrous chuckle over the loud speaker. Mitch shook his head, glaring to the sky. Jerome stood up slowly. Peterson's image showed in the sky.

"Deathmatch will begin soon," he announced.

"We've won, Peterson!" ordered Mitch.

"No…you haven't."

"What?"

"To win the games you must be the last one standing. There is still two of you left, and once Deathmatch starts, one of you will be dead."

Mitch turned slowly to Jerome. The bacca's eyes sorrowfully looked up, but looked down. Mitch shook his head. Jerome knew and didn't say anything. Why? Mitch headed toward Jerome. The bacca stepped back.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" grumbled Mitch. "We could've planned."

"I did."

Mitch perked.

"I did plan," smirked Jerome. The smile faded. "One of us has to die, hopefully before Deathmatch. I had a plan. I have a plan. I have several actually."

"Several?" snapped Mitch. "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"Because you won't take my life!"

Mitch froze. Take his life…how could Jerome even mention that?

"You won't take my life, and I have no right to take yours, even in simulation. I can't even bring myself to consider it, and…" Jerome eyed the ground. "You gave your life to try and get me out here. I doubt you would take my life to get out, even in simulation. Before deathmatch…I have a plan. If we were too late for deathmatch…I had another plan."

"Which was? What are your plans, Jerome? What's going on!" Mitch shouted.

"If we didn't make it to Deathmatch, I would kill myself," Jerome whispered, gripping his blade. "But we still have time…before that."

"Jerome wait…let's talk about this," Mitch argued.

"We can still win," sighed Jerome.

"Hacksource, what are you doing?" Peterson spoke.

"My name is Jerome!" he screamed.

Mitch stepped back. Sudden heat. Such heat. Mitch covered his eyes slightly. Bright light. Something was leaking everywhere, causing such heat and bright light. It clicked in Mitch's mind. He jumped back as the lava spilled further out. Smoke, sizzling heat that blurred the vision. Mitch covered his eyes again.

"Jerome!" called Mitch.

Blurred vision, Mitch could only make out a little of Jerome's frame. The lava was pooling around him, coming in close. Mitch could hear Jerome cringe. Mitch pulled his arm away from his eyes. Jerome screamed as the lava wrapped around his feet, taking him down. The red consumed him. Bright light, blinding heat, smoke spilling up and the deafening scream.

"No!" cried Mitch. "Jerome!"

A loud canon fire bang. The sky shut off, revealing white panels. The tress vanished and the landscape turned into a white room. Mitch stood alone, looking around. He was panting, sweating hard. He felt his cheek. That wasn't sweat. Tears.

_"Winner!"_

Mitch looked up slowly. Winner?

_"The Bajancandian!"_

"I…I won…" whispered Mitch. "But we…we were both supposed to win."

Mitch collapsed to the ground, pounding on the surface.

"I'm only fifteen! I'm not cut out for this! How were you!?"

Mitch shouted to the sky. There was no reason or otherwise. He just screamed. He couldn't help it.


	28. The Deal is Done

**Now**

Peterson lunged out at Jerome, who dodged it quickly. Mitch went for an attack, nicking Peterson's cheek. The man grinned, revealing sharp teeth. He spun around, kicking Mitch back into the chests. Jerome grabbed onto Peterson's weapon arm, holding him back. Husky took a lunge. I couldn't feel my body. I could only watch. Husky's rush was diverted as Peterson threw Jerome at him.

"This is fun," Peterson hummed. "I should've participated in these games ages ago!"

"Why you…" snarled Jerome, getting up slowly. "Fish are you okay?"

"I'm not a damn fish!" cursed Quinton, shoving Jerome off.

"Good," smirked Jerome.

"Come, you fools! Challenge me!" shouted Peterson.

I felt a tug on my arm. Ashley pulled me down, taking me to a stack of chests Ryan and Seto had constructed. Sky and Deadlox took up their blades. Jason was guarding our little fort as part of its last defense. Seto and Ryan looked over the chests, watching the group try and handle Peterson, who looked almost insane as he threw our heroes around.

"How…How did this happen?" I whispered.

"I wanna go home…I wanna go home…I wanna go home!" cried Ashley, covering her ears.

"We need to something…" Cliff mumbled. "Sorcerer?"

"Stay here," Seto ordered.

I glanced over the top of the fort. Blood leaked over the floor. I couldn't tell who was bleeding and who wasn't. Mitch had a cut along his arm, tearing his jacket off on one arm. Sky's glasses were cracked, blood dripping from his head. Jerome was baring fangs, readying to practically bite Peterson. The old man threw Jerome off him again, laughing hysterically.

"You brat!" he sneered. "I'll make sure to kill you last for the trouble you caused me. You can watch all your little playmate die before you!"

"No!" Jerome howled.

I felt that surge again, this time of unique power. Jerome trusted forward, jamming his blade into Peterson's arm. The man barely cringed, smirking as he spat in Jerome's face before kicking him off. Mitch took a hold on Peterson's neck, pulling the man back. Husky kicked Peterson in the leg, knocking the man down. Mitch jumped off, getting steadied by Sky.

"This is a battle field…this can't be happening…" Cliff mumbled.

Peterson spun around, knocking Deadlox down. Ty's blade managed to knock Peterson's chest plate, but failed to damage anything. Sky jumped at Peterson alongside Quinton. They slashed Peterson's arms, but only scratched the armor. Mitch kicked the villain's stomach. Peterson elbowed him in the face. Nothing but scratches on the surfaces of the armor. We couldn't crack it.

"I cannot lose! I will die trying or beat you all!"

"You don't have to die!" called Sky. "We can…we can come to some conclusion!"

"I cannot live if I fail…she…she will do worse than death to me," whimpered Peterson, eyes wide as he spoke.

"Who's she?" gasped Sky.

Peterson's holstered his blade, bring up his fists to fight. He knocked Quinton in the jaw, throwing his back. He took Deadlox up, snapping his arm. Ty screamed, collapsing to the ground. Peterson smirked, standing over Ty. Mitch yanked on Peterson's arm, pulling him back into an uppercut. The man snickered, grabbing Mitch by the collar and throwing him away. Jerome howled, rushing at Peterson who merely dodged the attack.

"The queen will kill us all…" whispered Peterson, jumping to his feet. "I'd rather die in battle than by her…experiments!"

"Who is the queen, Peterson, tell us!" ordered Mitch.

"You will know soon…soon Plan A will be complete and you will all pay," smirked Peterson. "She…she will replace you…"

"Peterson, please," whispered Jerome, getting to his feet. "There has to be…a way…"

"Kill me boy…Kill me!" shouted Peterson.

"I…"

Jerome held his blade. Suddenly, even ounce of anger that was boiling him since seeing Peterson again was gone. His hands shook as he raised the blade. His eyes were wide, watching Peterson stand completely still in front of him.

"Kill me…" ordered Peterson.

"I…" Jerome whispered. "I can't…"

"Jerome!" called Mitch, stepping in view behind Peterson.

"You…you found me…I didn't have any family…or friends…I had nothing…You were…my only…" Jerome whimpered.

"Jerome…" offered Mitch, stepping around Peterson. "We've already won, remember. You don't need to…"

Jerome glanced at Mitch. He smiled lightly. "You're my friend. And now I have a family…don't I? I have everything I need." He turned to Peterson. "And now I know that…there are better things in life than killing, even if it's fake. I won't kill you Peterson, I don't think I ever could."

"Me either," whispered Mitch.

"We hate you with a passion but not enough to kill you," Jerome instructed.

"So you'll just have to go back to your queen and tell her you lost," Sky nodded.

"No…I will never go back to that wrench," hissed Peterson, gripping his blade. "I gave her everything. She told me I would rule…I knew it was a lie! It's always been a lie! She never wanted me!"

Seto tried to block out view but I saw it. I watched as Peterson took his sword and stabbed it into his chest. Jerome and Mitch reacted, reaching out to stop him but it was too late. The man tumbled a little, blood dribbling from his mouth. He smirked as he collapsed to his knees.

"She won't have to experiment on. I want be her pawn anymore," he mumbled.

"Peterson…why?" groaned Jerome.

"You my boy…" Peterson snickered. "Tell her I hate her…"

Peterson collapsed to the ground. Jerome fell to his knees beside him. We all stood up, watching the sky and the world shut off, turning to white. We could see the crowd beyond the screen. They watched in awe, almost crying.

"I hate you," whispered Jerome, glaring at Peterson's body. "Why did you have to do this…I hate you…"

Mitch sat beside Jerome, patting the bacca on the back. Sky, Quinton and Deadlox stood over them. It was something out of a movie. My heart ached. Cliff was wrapped up in Seto's cloak, covering her eyes. Ashley was standing beside Ryan, trying not to watch but peered out between her fingers. I stepped out from behind the chest fort, standing beside Sky.

I felt like crying but I couldn't. I couldn't feel anything but numbness for the man lying before me. The only reason I wanted to cry was…Jerome was. I can't watch people cry. It makes me sad. I feel like I failed somehow. Did we win? Did we even end in draw? Watching Jerome cry into his hands, it didn't seem like we won at all.


	29. On the Run

**Five years ago**

Mitch smiled. Moving through the familiar woods, feeling the open breeze. The world was so real. He felt so free, so alive! His heart beat felt so close to his chest. Air was so fresh. Every breath felt like a miracle. He chuckled lightly, glancing to his right. Jerome smiled back, fixing the collar of his new suit. Specially tailored made with the winning money Mitch received. Looking at Jerome, the bacca looked more alive than Mitch had ever seen. They were both free.

"Now what?" mumbled Jerome.

"We live, we laugh, we grow old. Sound good?" Mitch shrugged.

"Sounds boring," groaned Jerome.

"Agreed, but what else is there to do? The games are over," Mitch sighed.

"I don't believe that Peterson would let us out this easily," Jerome mentioned.

Smoke. The smell was subtle at first but Mitch could easily pick it out of the pine and wood fragrance. Mitch stopped, lowering his bag. Jerome stopped beside him, looking ahead confused. Something was burning. No screams or cries, no, not this far out in the woods. It could only be one thing. Mitch lifted his back over his shoulder again, turning to Jerome.

"He didn't," Mitch whispered.

"Huh?" perked Jerome.

"Smell smoke?"

"Yeah?"

"The only thing out this far is my cabin," argued Mitch.

Jerome looked up ahead. Shouts. Men shouting the all clear. Soldiers, with only one order. To kill. To kill them. Jerome sighed. He thought he was going to get out of this mess at last. He rolled his eyes, turning around to head back the way they came. Mitch followed.

"They're right behind us aren't they?" groaned Jerome.

"Totally," Mitch nodded.

"Should I give them...Betty?" smirked Jerome.

"I think they deserve to meet here," grinned Mitch.

They spun around together. There were three men dressed in suits behind them. They pulled out guns, taking aim and readying to fire. Mitch threw the bag in the air, jump to the ground as the first gunshots fired. Jerome flipped back, kicking the bag open. Clothes were rapidly shot upon. Jerome leapt up, grabbing the one item they missed, a diamond axe. He gripped it tightly but threw it at one of the men. It lodged its blade into the man's chest. The other two groaned, backing up but continuing to fire. Mitch and Jerome ducked behind some trees.

"Don't lose her," Mitch commented.

"Oh, don't be a back seat fighter," shouted Jerome.

"We need the axe back," Mitch hummed, offering the bacca and smile.

"I'll get the axe and catch up to you, how about that?" nodded Jerome.

"And if you don't catch up? What if they've got guys ahead? I'll be defenseless," Mitch aruged.

"How many guards did you fight to get to see Peterson?" Jerome snapped.

"Point taken," Mitch nodded.

The gun shots fell silent. Mitch and Jerome nodded to one another. Mitch leapt out from behind the tree, drawing the new line of fire. Jerome ducked between the trees, sneaking up behind the men. He stood behind them, smiling. He kicked the first one in the head, dodged the second's scared shots, and hit him in the head with his own gun. He stepped over to the third man, pulling the axe out of his chest. He looked up, surprisingly finding Mitch standing there.

"I thought we agreed you would run ahead," Jerome sighed.

"I don't remember that," shrugged Mitch. "Coming?"

"So we're on the run," mumbled Jerome, stepping over to Mitch.

"Seems like it," nodded Mitch.

"You fools."

They turned, spotting one of the men sitting up. He had blood dipping from his lip, grinning all the same. Jerome and Mitch sighed, rolling their eyes.

"Why are fools? Jerome said completely emotionless. "Oh, please, do explain."

"He's got you. You've stolen money from him. Killed his men now too," the guard snickered. "He'll be able to have every cop out there after your hides. You," he nodded toward Mitch, "you will go away for maybe a few years. But you," he grinned at Jerome, "they'll put you down like a stray dog, you hybrid freak!"

"Wow," Jerome nodded. "That it?"

The guard looked shocked.

"I went through hell. What's the worst you can do to me," snarled Jerome.

Mitch and sighed, walking away. Jerome waved to the man, following Mitch. They both faded into the shadows of the forest, fading from exists.


	30. Home Sweet Home

**Now**

It was weird, being back in the base. Everything felt new, different, safer. The hole in the side of the arena was repaired. Recruits came to welcome us at the first sight of us over the hill. Ian was overjoyed to see Cliff and me okay, that is until I gave him the job of showing Ashley around. Let's just say, she got really excited. Poor Ian had a hard time keeping track of her as she bounced all over the place commenting of this and enjoying things

I couldn't go down there though, to the basement, to the actual base. I stayed in the tree house area, saying hi to people who passed. Everyone was ready to welcome the officers back. To think, they didn't even realize what the three of us did. We didn't get a welcome party like they did. Ashley didn't mind. She was fully admitted into the Sky Army, unofficially though. Sky still hadn't officially signed her up.

The air. I never really considered the breeze way up here, but now it seemed so real. I sighed. I couldn't tell anymore, what was real and what wasn't. Was this really home or just another holographic world? It hurt too much to think. The air felt real. The sound of rustling leaves. It all seemed real. But was it?

"Hey, Jane."

I perked, opening my eyes. Suddenly Mitch and Jerome were at either side of me. They seemed oddly happy. I offered a smile myself but it hurt. It wasn't real. Jerome and Mitch exchanged glances, then turned back to me. I could hear Ashley below, riding on the elevator, causing Ian such trouble. I could almost hear Quinton too, along side Ian's shouting.

"Hey, Jane, we were thinking," Jerome mumbled.

"Oh?" I nodded.

"Yes, yes, we were thinking about something you said," continued Mitch.

"You said you didn't know us," added Jerome.

"But we know you, right? We know where you came from right?" they both leaned in.

"Where are you two dummies going with this?" I grumbled.

Mitch leaned in, whispering in my ear. "We want to tell you a story."

Jerome leaned in on the other side. "It all starts ten years ago."

They both backed up. "Want to hear it?"

It was strange. The two were being very...what was the word? They offered evil smiles, waiting for me to reply. I smiled lightly. These two were like brothers. It wouldn't hurt to learn how. I sighed, glancing between them, and nodded. Their grins got bigger.

* * *

**Two or so years ago**

"Hey, Mitch, look."

Mitch groaned. Sleeping in a tree wasn't healthy. They'd been on the run how long now? He opened his eyes slowly, glancing over at Jerome. The bacca was pointing down. Mitch leaned over. A young man was wandering about, looking up at the trees. A young man but obviously new to the area. He was dressed in mostly black and grey with oddly bright red boots.

"Who does this guy think he is?" Mitch commented.

The man turned around, looking up at them in the tree. He grinned. They frowned back. He was older than them. They didn't trust people older than them. They always seemed to lie to them.

"What are you guys doing up there?" the man hummed.

"What are you doing down there?" they replied.

"True. You've got a point," the man nodded. "Should I get in a tree too?"

The two exchanged glances.

"What's your names?" the man offered.

"What's yours?" they snapped.

"I'm Adam...," the man replied.

"I'm Mitch."

"Mitch," snarled Jerome, tugging at Mitch's sleeve. "Don't..."

"Are you two hiding?" the man offered.

"Why do you want to know?" hissed Jerome.

"Excuse my friend..." Mitch jumped in. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh...recruiting," he answered.

"For?" the two perked.

"An army I somehow managed to make," he shrugged. "Wanna join?"

"Why would we?"

"It beats sleeping in a tree all alone," shrugged Adam.

The two exchanged another glance.

"Sir."

Another man came into view. His hair was draped over on eye, headphones over his ears. He mumbled something to the man, pointing off in the distance. Mitch and Jerome exchanged another glance.

"It beats being alone, Jerome," whispered Mitch. "They would understand...I bet they would."

"No one could understand," snarled Jerome. "They don't...They can't..."

"Someone will," promised Mitch. "And something says this will be the way to find that someone...or people!"

"I don't...wanna...go back," whimpered Jerome.

"Hey, boys!"

They looked back down at the man and the new man standing beside him.

"Boys, we're moving to this little camp we set up. Dinner is at six, but we have some extra food if your hungry now. We don't have beds or cots or that kind of stuff but it beats sleeping in a tree, right?"

"What are you recruiting for? What is this army of yours doing?" Jerome perked.

The man hesitated a moment but then smiled. He nodded then spoke.

"We're going to help people."

Mitch smiled, looking to Jerome. The bacca was smiling too. Help people. It was almost too good to be true and yet it felt so good to believe in. Mitch leapt down from the tree first then Jerome leapt down after.

"Can we help..." Mitch mumbled. "We want to help people."

"Ty?" the man hummed.

The two perked, turning to the man standing beside Adam.

"Limited files. Basic ones say these two are wanted by numerous forces," the man explained.

Mitch and Jerome cringed, exchanging looks.

"What for?" mumbled Adam.

"Robbery, murder," Ty answered.

"Robbery and murder?" chuckled Adam, smirking at the two. "From you two? Did you guys do that?"

"No, sir..." replied Mitch.

"He's just a sore loser," hissed Jerome.

"But, sir," perked Ty.

"Let them in," he smiled. "And I told you...call me Sky."


	31. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3rd Person

Cliff peered into Seto's office. It was dimly lit, no one around? She stepped in, hearing the faintest of voices. The lights suddenly came on, revealing Seto at his desk. Cliff jumped, stepping back. The door quickly shut, locking her in. Seto stood up, surprised by her appearance.

"Cliff, what is it?" he perked.

"Sorcerer..." Cliff whispered. "I wanted to talk to you about...about a vision I hard during the games."

"A vision," repeated Seto, shaking his head. "Are you sure? You're a little young to have visions just yet."

"I could see...something coming," explained Cliff, stepping closer to the desk. "A man from long ago...coming...coming back. Something...something evil. And it all comes back to-"

"Cliff, my dear," hummed Seto, stepping over to her side. "It was just a dream. You were in a stressful situation. The mind tried to...distract you."

"But it...it seemed..." stuttered Cliff, eyeing the ground.

"Why don't you...why don't you go out with Jane. I heard you were going to try another paint raid," suggested Seto, leading Cliff to the doorway. "Oh, and take Fia with you. She's been driving me mad as of late."

Cliff stepped outside the office, nodding slowly. Seto offered a smile, shutting the door as she left. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Even your youngest apprentice is having visions, Seto."

Seto snarled, dimming the lights again. He stepped around the holographic image of his guest, sitting down at his desk again. His guest was dressed in light brown, jeans, boots, and black cape draped down his back and covering his mouth. His light brown hair was spike up, with one tan streak in it. His eyes glittered purple.

"Shut it, Ender mage!" snarled Seto. "I am completely aware of the danger that is vastly approaching.

"Someone's touchy today. You just got back, yes?"

"Yes," sighed Seto. "And this feeling of doom hasn't faded. If anything, it has grown stronger. As you said, even my youngest apprentice is sensing it. Is yours?"

"She is not completely one of magic. She prefers...science."

"You were always a technophobe, my friend. Even as students, we were so different. How is your team going?"

"Fine. Yours? Are they ready for what is coming?"

"No. They aren't even close."


End file.
